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FARMING    FOR    BOYS, 


WHAT  THEY  HAVE  DONE,  AND  WHAT  OTHERS  MAY 

DO,  IN  THE  CULTIVATION  OF  FARM  AND 

GARDEN,  — HOW  TO  BEGIN,  HOW 

TO  PROCEED,  AND  WHAT 

TO  AIM  AT. 


BY   THE   AUTHOR   OF 

**TEN    ACRES    ENOUGH." 


WITH  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


BOSTON: 
FIELDS,     OSGOOD,    &    CO., 

SUCCESSORS  TO  TICKNOR  AND   FIELDS. 
1869. 


PJt 


Entered  according  to  Act  ot  Congress,  m  the  year  1868,  by 
TICKNOR     AND     FIELDS, 
Qerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  District  of  Massachusetts. 


Univkksity  Press:  Welch,  Bigelow,  &  Co., 
Cambridge. 


PREFACE 


A  MONG  the  multitude  of  recent  publications  designed 
-^~^  exclusively  for  boys  there  are  very  few  which  set  before 
them  the  superior  charm,  as  well  as  the  general  superior 
safety,  of  a  farmer  s  life.  The  pervading  tendency  of  modern 
publications  for  the  youthful  mind  has  been  to  fit  them  for 
trade  or  commerce  in  the  great  cities,  as  if  those  human  hives 
were  the  only  spots  whereon  men  could  be  prosperous  and 
happy.  Examples  of  friendless  adventurers  from  the  country 
to  the  city,  who  there  rose  to  fortune,  have  been  largely  set 
before  the  youthful  mind,  while  no  proper  notice  has  been 
taken  of  the  much  more  numerous  class  of  boys  who,  begin- 
ning as  rakers  in  the  hay-field,  thence  rose  to  the  position  of 
successful  farmers,  and  subsequently  to  that  of  statesmen  or 
public  benefactors. 

The  charm  of  city  life  has  been  unduly  magnified,  while  the 
greater  one  of  country  life  has  been  overlooked.  Our  boys 
have  thus  too  generally  been  taught  to  think  the  former  pref- 
erable to  the  latter.  Experience  of  the  trials  which  belong 
to  it  in  the  end  convinces  them  of  the  mistake  they  made  in 


IV  .  PREFACE. 

leaving  the  green  fields  of  their  childhood  for  the  dust  and 
turmoil  of  the  city.  Many  are  annually  repeating  it,  stimu- 
lated to  do  so  by  the  tone  of  most  of  our  publications,  and  by 
the  advice  of  parents  and  friends  to  whom  these  have  given  a 
false  coloring  of  the  truth.  Many  are  thus  regretting  the  day 
when  they  abandoned  the  wide  harvest-field  for  the  narrow 
counter  of  a  city  shop  ;  and  too  many  sigh  in  vain  for  the 
great  fortune  they  were  speedily  to  acquire,  and  for  liberty  to 
once  more  return  and  labor  on  the  old  homestead  on  which 
they  were  born.  If  in  early  life  insensible  to  its  attractions, 
because  no  one  taught  them  to  understand  and  appreciate 
them,  they  feel   and   comprehend   them  now. 

This  little  volume  has  been  prepared  to  counteract,  to  some 
extent,  this  prevalent  disposition  for  encouraging  our  youth 
to  exchange  the  country  for  the  city,  —  to  convince  those 
already  living  in  the  former  that  their  future  respectability 
and  happiness  will  be  best  promoted  by  remaining  where  they 
are,  as  well  as  to  impress  on  the  minds  of  city  parents  that 
they  will  be  doing  for  their  sons  an  acceptable  service  by  cul- 
tivating in  them  a  love  for  country  life  in  place  of  that  for  a 
city  one.  I  have  set  before  them  striking  instances  of  the 
general  superiority  of  agricultural  employments,  of  their  com- 
parative freedom  from  temptation  to  vice,  of  the  sure  rewards 
they  bring  to  intelligently  directed  industry,  and  shown  that  it 
is  a  great  mistake  to  suppose  that  all  who  exchange  the  farm 
for  the  city  become  either  good,  or  great,  or  even  rich.     The 


PREFACE.  V 

fact  is  made  manifest,  in  the  personal  history  of  a  multitude 
of  distinguished  men,  that  the  farm,  and  not  the  city,  has 
been  the  birthplace  of  the  leading  minds  of  all  countries. 

To  stimulate  the  faculty  or  disposition  for  acquiring  money, 
I  have  endeavored  to  show  how  the  boy  upon  a  farm  may 
make  a  beginning.  Heretofore,  the  children  of  too  many  far- 
mers have  been  kept  as  mere  drudges,  now  at  school  and  now 
at  work,  with  no  pains  taken  to  encourage  their  individual 
enterprise  by  showing  them  how  to  make  something  for  them- 
selves. The  hope  of  profit  nerves  the  enterprise  and  sharp- 
ens the  wit  of  men.  Why  should  our  boys  be  so  wholly 
excluded  from  all  share  in  what,  when  grown  to  manhood,  so 
generally  becomes  the.  great  impulse  to  all  future  effort  ? 

The  mass  of  farmers'  boys  understand  that  they  must  carve 
out  their  own  fortunes.  If  their  parents  would  afford  them 
some  little  opportunity  to  begin  early,  —  an  equal  one  with 
the  sharp  newsboy  of  the  city,  —  they  too  would  become  so 
shrewd,  so  self-reliant,  so  expert  at  acquisition,  even  on  the 
farm,  that,  educated  to  moderation,  they  would  be  too  well  sat- 
isfied with  small  gains  to  be  overcome  by  the  seductions  of 
city  life.  If  it  be  mere  money  which  makes  the  latter  attrac- 
tive, a  certainty  of  being  able  to  acquire  it  at  home  would 
seem  to  be  potent  enough  to  surround  with  greater  attractions 
the  spot  on  which  the  farmer's  boy  may  have  been  born. 

Burlington,  N.  J.,  1868. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER    I. 

A  Neglected  Farm.  —  Tony  King,  the  Orphan.  —  History  of 
Uncle  Benny,  —  Nothing  like  being  handy  with  Tools    .       .        i 

CHAPTER    II. 

All  Farming  is  a  Job.  —  Stopping  a  great  Leak.  —  Giving  Boys 
A  Chance.  —  A  Lecture  in  the  Barn.  —  Working  One's  Way  up  .      i6 

CHAPTER    III. 

A  Poor  Dinner.  —  What  Surface  Drainage  means.  —  The  Value 
OF  Drainage.  —  A  wet  Barn-yard.  —  What  constitutes  Manure. 
—  Help  YOURSELF.  —  The  Young  Pedler 31 

CHAPTER    IV. 

Idlers  in  the  Barn.  —  Uncle  Benny's  Notions.  —  How  to  make 
a  Beginning.  —  Leaving  the  Farm.  —  Boys  and  Girls.  —  Don't 
quit  the  Farm 46 

CHAPTER    V. 

Something  to  do.  —  The  Value  of  Pigeons.  —  Buying  Pigs  and 
Pigeons.  —  The  Old  Battle-Ground  at  Trenton.  —  How  to 
keep  Pigeons 64 


Vlll 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER    VI. 

Building  a  Pig-Pen.  —  How  to  keep  Pigs.  —  A  great  Increase* 
Two  Acres  of  Corn.  —  Liquid  Manure  the  Life  of  a  Plant    .      82 


CHAPTER    VII. 

Visit  to  a  Model  Farm.  —  The  Story  of  Robert  Allen. 
to  raise  Horseradish.  —  No  such  Thing  as  Luck 


How 


99 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

Never  kill  the  Birds.  —  Pets  of  all  Kinds.  —  What  Underdrain- 
ING  MEANS.  —  More  Horseradish.  —  Encouraging  the  Boys         .     117 

CHAPTER    IX. 

How   to    manage   a    Peach-Orchard.  —  A  Boy's  Work-shop.  —  A 
Crowd  of  Poultry.  —  Making  the  Hens  lay.  —  A  Boys'  Library    133: 


CHAPTER    X. 

Having  a  Dozen  Friends.  —  Killing  a  Snake.  —  Cruelty  con- 
demned. —  Lecture  on  a  Worm-fence.  —  Value  of  Agricultural 
Fairs.  —  A  returned  Adventurer I4t^ 

CHAPTER    XI. 

Mismanaging  a  Horse.  —  Value  of  an  Inch  of  Rain.  —  Plant- 
ing a  Tree.  —  Value  of  sharp  Hoes.  —  A  Tree-Pedler.  —  How 
Plants  Grow 169 

CHAPTER    XI  I. 

A  great  Brier-Patch.  —  Putting  it  to  good  Use.  —  Amazing  the 
Neighbors 1S8 


CONTENTS.  IX 

CHAPTER    XIII. 

How  THE  Pets  succeeded.  —  Going  to  the  Fair.  —  A  Young  Horse- 
race.—  Trying  for  a  Premium 201 

CHAPTER    XIV.  ' 

Harvesting  Corn.  —  Taking  Care  of  Blackberries.  —  Winter 
Sports  and  Winter  Evenings.  —  Planting  Strawberries  and 
Raspberries.  —  Getting  the  best  Tools 214 

CHAPTER    XV. 

The  old  Field  again.  —  Poverty  a  good  Thing.  —  Gathering  the 
Crop.  —  A  great  Profit.  —  Stopping  the  Croakers.  —  The  Se- 
cret of  Success 230 

CHAPTER    XVI. 

PlAY    AS    WELL    AS    WORK.  —  FiSHING     AND     A     FiSH-POND.  —  A    BAD 

Accident.  —  Taming  a  Crow.  —  Don't  kill  the  Toads  .       .        .    244 

CHAPTER    XVII. 

All  Weather  good.  —  A  Disappointment.  —  Making  Money.  — 
City  and  Country  Lifk  —  Wealth  and  its  Uses.  —  Contrast 
between  old  Times  and  the  Present 260 

CHAPTER    XVIII. 

Changes  on  the  Farm.  —  The  Boys  becoming  Men.  —  Tony  and 
HIS  Prospects.  —  Going  into  the  Army.  —  A  great  Discovery. — 
Uncle  Benny's  Triumph. — Tony  King  made  happy      .       .        .272 


LIST    OF    ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PAGB 

The  young  Pedler 41 

Idlers  in  the  Barn 47 

The  old  Bridge 75 

The  Horseradish-Grinder 103 

Underdraining 123 

The  Poultry- Yard  . 141 

Dishonest  Associates 166 

Mismanaging  a  Horse 169 

Blackberry  Picking 190 

The  Pigeon-Loft     .        .      • 202 

Corn  Husking 215 

Fishing  in  the  Creek 245 

The  Sentinel  of  the  Squash-Vines.        .        .        .  258 

An  Unexpected  Arrival 279 


FARMING    FOR    BOYS. 


CHAPTER    I. 

A  Neglected  Farm.  —  Tony  King,  the  Orphan.  —  History  of  Unclk 
Benny.  —  Nothing  like  being  handy  with  Tools. 

^  I  ^HERE  is  an  old  farm-house  in  the  State  of  New  Jer- 
■^  sey,  not  a  hundred  miles  from  the  city  of  Trenton, 
having  the  great  railroad  which  runs  between  New  York 
and  Philadelphia  so  near  to  it  that  one  can  hear  the  whis- 
tle of  the  locomotive  as  it  hurries  onward  every  hour  in 
the  day,  and  see  the  trains  of  cars  as  they  whirl  by  with  their 
loads  of  living  freight.  The  laborers  in  the  fields  along  the 
road,  though  they  see  these  things  so  frequently,  invariably 
pause  in  their  work  and  watch  the  advancing  train  until  it 
passes  them,  and  follow  it  with  their  eyes  until  it  is  nearly 
lost  in  the  distance.  The  boy  leans  upon  his  hoe,  the  mow- 
er rests  upon  his  scythe,  the  ploughman  halts  his  horses 
in  the  furrow,  —  all  stop  to  gaze  upon  a  spectacle  that 
has  long  ceased  to  be  either  a  wonder  or  a  novelty.  Why 
it  is  so  may  be  difficult  to  answer,  except  that  the  snort- 
ing combination  of  wheels,  and  cranks,  and  fire,  and  smoke, 
thundering   by  the  quiet   fields,  breaks  in   upon  the  monot- 


2  FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  H^ 

onous  labor  of  the  hand  who  works  alone,  with  no  one 
to  converse  with,  —  for  the  fact  is  equally  curious,  that 
gangs  of  laborers  make  no  pause  on  the  appearance  of 
a  locomotive.      They  have  companionship  enough  already. 

This  old  wooden  farm-house  was  a  very  shabby  affair. 
To  look  at  it,  one  would  be  sure  that  the  owner  had  a 
particular  aversion  to  both  paint  and  whitewash.  The 
weather-boarding  was  fairly  honeycombed  by  age  and 
exposure  to  the  sun  and  rain,  and  in  some  places  the 
end  of  a  board  had  dropped  off,  and  hung  down  a  foot 
or  two,  for  want  of  a  nail  which  everybody  about  the 
place  appeared  to  be  too  lazy  or  neglectful  to  supply  in 
time.  One  or  two  of  the  window-shutters  had  lost  a 
hinge,  and  they  also  hung  askew,  —  nobody  had  thought 
it  worth  while  to  drive  back  the  staple  when  it  first  be- 
came loose. 

Then  there  were  several  broken  lights  of  glass  in  the 
kitchen  windows.  As  the  men  about  the  house  neglected 
to  have  them  mended,  or  to  do  it  themselves  by  using  the 
small  bit  of  putty  that  would  have  kept  the  cracked  ones 
from  going  to  pieces,  the  women  had  been  compelled  to 
keep  out  the  wind  and  rain  by  stuffing  in  the  first  thing 
that  came  to  hand.  There  was  a  bit  of  red  flannel  in 
one,  an  old  straw  bonnet  in  another,  while  in  a  third,  from 
which  all  the  glass  was  gone,  a  tolerably  good  fur  hat, 
certainly  worth  the  cost  of  half  a  dozen  lights,  had  been 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  3 

crammed  in  to  fill  up  the  vacancy.  The  whole  appearance 
of  the  windows  was  deplorable.  Some  of  them  had  lost 
the  little  wooden  buttons  which  kept  up  the  sash  when 
hoisted,  and  which  anybody  could  have  replaced  by  whit- 
tling out  new  ones  with  his  knife  ;  but  as  no  one  did  it,  and 
as  the  women  must  sometimes  have  the  sashes  raised,  they 
propped  them  up  with  pretty  big  sticks  from  the  wood-pile. 
It  was  not  a  nice  sight,  that  of  a  rough  stick  as  thick  as  one's 
arm  to  hold  up  the  sash,  especially  when,  of  a  sultry  day, 
three  or  four  of  them  were  always  within  view. 

Then  the  wooden  step  at  the  kitchen  door,  instead  of  being 
nailed  fast  to  the  house,  was  not  only  loose,  but  it  rested  on 
the  ground  so  unevenly  as  to  tilt  over  whenever  any  one 
stepped  carelessly  on  its  edge.  As  the  house  contained  a 
large  family,  all  of  whom  generally  lived  in  the  kitchen, 
there  was  a  great  deal  of  running  in  and  out  over  this  loose 
step.  When  it  first  broke  away  from  the  building,  it  gave 
quite  a  number  of  severe  tumbles  to  the  women  and  children. 
Everybody  complained  of  it,  but  nobody  mended  it,  though 
a  single  stout  nail  would  have  held  it  fast.  One  dark  night 
a  pig  broke  loose,  and,  snuffing  and  smelling  around  the 
premises  in  search  of  forage,  came  upon  the  loose  step,  and, 
imagining  that  he  scented  a  supper  in  its  neighborhood,  used 
his  snout  so  vigorously  as  to  push  it  clear  away  from  the 
door.  One  of  the  girls,  hearing  the  noise,  stepped  out  into 
the  yard  to  see  what  was  going  on  ;  but  the  step  being  gone, 


FARMING    FOR   BOYS. 


and  she  not  observing  it,  down  she  went  on  her  face,  striking 
her  nose  on  the  edge  of  a  bucket  which  some  one  had  left 
exactly  in  the  wrong  place,  and  breaking  the  bone  so  badly 
that  she  will  carry  a  very  homely  face  as  long  as  she  lives. 
It  was  a  very  painful  hurt  to  the  poor  girl,  and  the  family 
all  grieved  over  her  misfortune  ;  but  not  one  of  the  men 
undertook  to  mend  the  step.  Finally,  the  mother  managed 
to  drive  down  two  sticks  in  front  of  it,  which  held  it  up  to 
the  house,  though  not  half  so  firmly  as  would  have  been  done 
by  a  couple  of  good  stout  nails. 

Things  were  very  much  in  the  same  condition  all  over  the 
premises.  The  fence  round  the  garden,  and  in  fact  all  about 
the  house,  was  dropping  to  pieces  simply  for  want  of  a  nail 
here  and  there.  The  barn-yard  enclosure  was  strong  enough 
to  keep  the  cattle  in,  but  it  was  a  curious  exhibition  of  hasty 
patchwork,  that  would  hurt  the  eye  of  any  mechanic  to  look 
at.  As  to  the  gates,  every  one  of  them  rested  at  one  end 
on  the  ground.  It  was  hard  work  even  for  a  man  to  open 
and  shut  them,  as  they  had  to  be  lifted  clear  up  before 
they  could  be  moved  an  inch.  For  a  half-grown  boy  to 
open  them  was  really  a  very  serious  undertaking,  especially 
in  muddy  weather.  The  posts  had  sagged,  or  the  upper 
staples  had  drawn  out,  but  nobody  attended  to  putting 
them  to  rights,  though  it  would  not  have  been  an  hour's 
job  to  make  them  all  swing  as  freely  as  every  good  farm- 
gate  ought  to.  The  barn-yard  was  a  hard  place  for  the 
boys  on  this  farm. 


FARMING   FOR    BOYS.  5 

No  touch  of  whitewash  had  been  spread  over  either 
house,  or  fence,  or  outbuilding,  for  many  years,  though 
lime  is  known  to  everybody  as  being  one  of  the  surest  pre- 
servers of  wood-work,  as  well  as  the  very  cheapest,  while 
it  so  beautifully  sets  off  a  farm-house  to  see  its  surround- 
ings covered  once  a  year  with  a  fresh  coat  of  white.  The 
hen-house  was  of  course  equally  neglected,  though  white- 
wash is  so  well  known  to  be  an  indispensable  purifier  of 
such  places,  materially  helping  to  keep  away  those  kinds 
of  vermin  that  prevent  poultry  from  thriving.  In  fact,  the 
absence  of  lime  was  so  general,  that  the  hens  could  hardly 
pick  up  enough  to  make  egg-shells.  Had  they  laid  eggs 
without  shells,  the  circumstance  would  have  mortified  the 
hens  as  much  as  it  would  have  surprised  the  family.  As  it 
was,  their  only  dependence  was  on  the  pile  of  lime  rubbish 
which  was  left  every  spring  after  whitewashing  the  kitchen. 
The  women  who  presided  there  did  manage  to  fix  up 
things  once  a  year.  They  thought  lime  was  good  to  drive 
away  ants  and  roaches,  and  so  they  and  the  hens  were  the 
only  parties  on  the  premises  who  used  it. 

There  were  many  other  things  about  this  farm-house  that 
were  quite  as  much  neglected,  —  more  than  it  is  worth 
while  at  present  to  mention,  unless  it  be  the  wood-pile. 
Though  there  were  two  men  on  the  farm,  and  several  well- 
grown  boys,  yet  the  women  could  rarely  prevail  on  any  of 
them    to  split  a   single  stick  of  wood.     The   wood   for   the 


6  FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 

house  caused  great  trouble,  —  it  was  difficult  to  get  it  at 
all.  Then  when  it  did  come,  it  was  crooked  and  knotty, 
much  of  it  such  as  a  woman  could  not  split.  Yet  when- 
ever a  stick  or  two  was  wanted,  the  females  of  the  family 
must  run  out  into  the  shed  to  chop  and  split  it.  They 
never  could  get  an  armful  ahead,  such  was  the  strange 
neglect  of  one  of  the  most  indispensable  comforts  of  house- 
keeping. If  the  female  head  of  the  family  had  only  thought 
of  letting  the  male  portion  go  a  few  times  without  their 
dinners,  it  is  more  than  likely  they  would  have  brought 
them  to  terms,  and  taught  them  that  it  was  quite  as  much 
their  duty  to  split  the  wood  as  it  was  hers  to  cook  their 
dinners.  But  she  was  a  good,  easy  creature,  like  most  of 
the  others.  They  had  all  been  brought  up  in  the  same 
neglectful  way,  just  rubbing  along  from  day  to  day,  never 
getting  ahead,  but  everything   getting  ahead  of  them. 

This  farmer's  name  was  Philip  Spangler,  and  he  was  un- 
lucky enough  to  have  a  hundred  acres  in  his  farm.  The 
word  unlucky  is  really  a  very  proper  one  ;  because  it  was 
unlucky  for  such  a  man  as  Philip  that  he  should  have  so 
much  more  land  than  he  knew  how  to  manage,  and  it 
was  equally  unlucky  for  the  land  that  it  should  have  so 
poor  a  manager.  The  man  was  perfectly  sober,  and  in  his 
own  way  was  a  very  industrious  one.  He  worked  hard  him- 
self, and  made  every  one  about  him  do  the  same.  He  was 
what    is   known   as   a   "  slaving   farmer,"  —  up    by  dayhg'nt, 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  J 

having  all  hands  up  and  out  of  doors  quite  as  early  as 
himself,  and  he  and  they  stuck  to  it  as  long  as  they  could 
see  to  work.  With  him  and  them  it  was  all  work  and  no 
play.  He  had  no  recreations ;  he  took  no  newspaper,  had 
no  reading  in  the  house  except  the  children's  school-books, 
the  Bible,  and  an  almanac,  —  which  he  bought  once  a  year, 
not  because  he  wanted  it,  but  because  his  wife  would  have 
it 

What  was  very  singular  in  Mr.  Spangler's  mode  of  man- 
aging things,  when  a  wet  day  came  on,  too  rainy  for  out-of- 
door  work,  he  seemed  to  have  no  indoor  employments  pro- 
vided, either  for  himself  or  hands  to  do,  having  apparently 
no  sort  of  forethought.  On  such  occasions  he  let  every- 
thing slide,  —  that  is,  take  care  of  itself,  —  and  went,  in 
spite  of  the  rain,  to  a  tavern  near  by  on  the  railroad,  where 
he  sat  all  day  among  a  crowd  of  neighboring  idlers  who 
collected  there  at  such  times  ;  for  although  it  might  be  wet 
enough  to  stop  all  work  in  the  fields,  it  was  never  too  wet 
to  keep  them  away  from  the  tavern.  There  these  fellows 
sat,  drinking  juleps,  smoking  pipes,  or  cigars  that  smelt 
even  worse,  and  retailing  among  each  other  the  news  of 
their  several  neighborhoods. 

What  Spangler  thus  picked  up  at  the  tavern  was  about 
all  the  news  he  ever  heard.  As  to  talking  of  farming,  of 
their  crops,  or  what  was  the  best  thing  to  raise,  or  how 
best   to   carry  on  this  or  that  branch  of  their  business,— 


8  FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  V| 

such  matters  were  rarely  spoken  of.  They  came  there  to 
shake  off  the  farm.  Politics  was  a  standing  topic,  —  who 
was  likely  to  be  nominated  on  their  ticket,  —  whether  he 
would  be  elected,  —  and  whether  it  was  true  that  so-and- 
so  was  going  to  be  sold  out  by  the  sheriff.  It  was  much  to 
Spangler's  credit,  that,  if  at  this  rainy-day  rendezvous  he 
learned  nothing  useful,  he  contracted  no  other  bad  habit 
than  that  of  lounging  away  a  day  when  he  should  have 
been  at  home  attending  to  his  business.  It  was  much  after 
the  same  fashion  that  he  spent  his  long  winter's  evenings, 
—  dozing  in  the  chimney-corner,  —  for  the  tavern  was  too 
far  away,  or  he  would  have  spent  them  there. 

Now  it  somehow  happens  that  there  are  quite  as  many 
rainy  days  in  the  country  as  in  the  city.  But  those  who 
live  in  the  latter  never  think  of  quitting  work  because  it 
snows  deep  or  rains  hard.  The  merchant  never  closes  his 
counting-house  or  store,  nor  does  the  mechanic  cease  to 
labor  from  such  a  cause  ;  they  have  still  something  on  hand, 
whether  it  rain  or  shine.  Even  the  newsboys  run  about 
the  streets  as  actively,  and  a  hundred  other  kinds  of  work- 
ers keep  on  without  interruption. 

If  the  laboring  men  of  a  large  city  were  to  quit  work 
because  of  a  hard  rain,  there  would  be  a  loss  of  many  thou- 
sand dollars  for  every  such  day  that  happened.  So  also 
with  a  farmer.  There  is  plenty  of  rainy-day  work  on  a 
farm,  if  the  owner  only  knew  it,  or  thought  of  it  beforehand, 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  9 

• 

and  set  his  men  or  boys  to  do  it,  —  in  the  barn,  or  cellar, 
or  wood-shed.  If  he  had  a  bench  and  tools,  a  sort  of  work- 
shop, a  rainy  day  would  be  a  capital  time  for  him  to  teach 
his  boys  how  to  drive  a  nail,  or  saw  a  board,  or  push  a 
plane,  to  make  a  new  box  or  mend  an  old  one,  to  put  a 
new  handle  in  an  axe  or  hoe,  or  to  do  twenty  such  little 
things  as  are  always  wanted  on  a  farm.  Besides  saving 
the  time  and  money  lost  by  frequent  running  to  the  black- 
smith or  wheelwright,  to  have  such  trifles  attended  to, 
things  would  be  kept  always  ready  when  next  wanted,  and 
his  boys  would  become  good  mechanics.  There  is  so  much 
of  this  kind  of  light  repairing  to  be  done  on  a  farm,  that, 
having  a  set  of  tools,  and  knowing  how  to  use  them,  are 
almost  as  indispensable  as  having  ploughs  and  harrows,  and 
the  boys  cannot  be  too  early  instructed  in  their  use.  Many 
boys  are  natural  mechanics,  and  even  without  instruction 
could  accomplish  great  things  if  they  only  had  a  bench 
and  tools.  The  making  of  the  commonest  bird-box  will 
give  an  ambitious  boy  a  very  useful  lesson. 

It  seemed  that  Mr.  Spangler  was  learning  nothing  while 
he  lived.  His  main  idea  appeared  to  be,  that  farming  was 
an  affair  of  muscle  only,  —  that  it  was  hands,  not  heads, 
that  farmers  ought  to  have  ;  and  that  whoever  worked  hard- 
est and  longest,  wasted  no  time  in  reading,  spent  no  money 
for  fine  cattle  or  better  breeds  of  pigs,  or  for  new  seeds, 
new  tools  or  machines,  and  stuck  to  the  good  old  way,  was 


10  FARMING  FOR  BOYS.  ' 

the  best  fanner.  He  never  devoted  a  day  now  and  then 
to  visiting  the  agricultural  exhibitions  which  were  held  in 
all  the  counties  round  him,  where  he  would  be  sure  to  see 
samples  of  the  very  best  things  that  good  farmers  were 
producing,  —  fine  cattle,  fine  pigs,  fine  poultry,  and  a  hun- 
dred other  products  which  sensible  men  are  glad  to  exhibit 
at  such  fairs,  knowing  that  it  is  the  smart  men  who  go  to 
such  places  to  learn  what  is  going  on,  as  well  as  to  make 
purchases,  and  that  it  is  the  agricultural  drones  who  stay 
at  home.  The  fact  was,  he  had  been  badly  educated,  and 
he  could  not  shake  off  the  habits  of  his  early  life.  He  had 
been  taught  that  hard  work  was  the  chief  end  of  man. 

Of  course  such  a  farmer  had  a  poor  time  of  it,  as  well  as 
the  hands  he  employed.  He  happened  to  be  pretty  well  out 
of  debt,  there  being  only  a  small  mortgage  on  his  farm  ;  but 
he  was  so  poor  a  manager  that  his  hard  work  went  for  little, 
in  reality  just  enough  to  enable  his  family  to  live,  with  some- 
times very  close  shaving  to  pay  interest.  As  to  getting  rich, 
it  was  out  of  the  question.  He  had  a  son  whose  name  was 
Joe,  a  smart,  ambitious  boy  of  sixteen  years  old  ;  another 
son,  Bill,  two  years  younger ;  and  an  orphan  named  Tony 
King,  exactly  a  year  younger  than  Joe  ;  together  with  a 
hired  man  for  helper  about  the  farm. 

Mr.  Spangler  had  found  Tony  in  the  adjoining  county. 
On  the  death  of  his  parents,  they  being  miserably  poor,  and 
having  no  relations  to  take  care  of  him,  he  had  had  a  hard 


FARMING   FOR  BOYS.  II 

time  among  strangers.  They  kept  him  until  old  enough  to 
be  bound  out  to  a  trade.  Mr.  Spangler  thinking  he  needed 
another  hand,  and  being  at  the  same  time  in  such  low 
repute  as  a  farmer  and  manager  that  those  who  knew  him 
were  not  willing  to  let  their  sons  live  with  him  as  appren- 
tices, he  was  obliged  to  go  quite  out  of  the  neighborhood, 
where  he  was  not  so  well  known,  in  order  to  secure  one. 
In  one  of  his  trips  he  brought  up  at  the  house  where  Tony 
was  staying,  and,  liking  his  looks,  —  for  he  was  even  a 
brighter  boy  than  Joe  Spangler, —  he  had  him  bound  to 
him  as  an   apprentice   to   the   art  and   mystery  of  farming. 

In  engaging  himself  to  teach  this  art  and  mystery  to 
Tony,  he  undertook  to  impart  a  great  deal  more  knowledge 
than  he  himself  possessed,  —  a  thing,  by  the  way,  which  is 
very  common  with  a  good  many  other  people.  Altogether 
it  was  a  hard  bargain  for  poor  Tony  ;  but  when  parents 
are  so  idle  and  thriftless  as  to  expose  their  children  to 
such  a  fate  as  his,  they  leave  them  a  legacy  of  nothing 
better  than  the  very  hardest  kind  of  bargains. 

In  addition  to  this  help,  about  a  year  after  Tony  took 
up  his  quarters  with  Mr.  Spangler,  there  came  along  an  old 
man  of  seventy,  a  sort  of  distant  relation  of  the  Spanglers, 
who  thenceforward  made  the  farm  his  home.  Mr.  Spangler 
and  his  wife  called  him  "  Benny,"  but  all  the  younger  mem- 
bers of  the  family,  out  of  respect  for  his  age,  called  him 
"  Uncle,"  so  that  in  a  very  short  time  he  went  by  no  other 


12 


FARMING    FOR   BOYS. 


name  than  that  of  "  Uncle  Benny,"  and  this  not  only  on 
the  farm,  but  all  over  the   neighborhood. 

Uncle  Benny  turned  out  to  be  the  pleasantest  old  man 
the  boys  and  girls  had  ever  been  acquainted  with.  It  was 
no  wonder  they  liked  him,  for  he  was  very  fond  of  children, 
and  like  generally  begets  like.  He  was  a  very  different 
sort  of  character  from  any  about  the  farm.  He  had  been 
well  educated,  and  being  in  his  younger  days  of  a  roving, 
sight-hunting  disposition,  he  had  travelled  all  over  the 
world,  had  seen  a  multitude  of  strange  men  and  strange 
things,  and  .had  such  a  way  of  telling  what  he  had  thus 
picked  up  as  never  to  fail  of  interesting  those  who  heard 
him.  Sometimes  of  a  long  winter  evening,  when  he  was 
giving  accounts  of  foreign  countries,  or  how  people  lived 
in  our  great  cities,  or  how  they  carried  on  farming  in  other 
parts  of  our  country,  he  talked  so  pleasantly  that  no  one 
thought  of  being  sleepy.  On  such  evenings,  before  he  came 
to  live  on  the  farm,  Mr.  Spangler  would  often  fall  asleep  on 
his  chair  in  the  chimney-corner,  and  once  or  twice  actually 
tipped  over  quite  into  the  ashes ;  but  now,  when  Uncle 
Benny  got  fairly  under  way,  there  was  no  more  going  to 
sleep.  Mr.  Spangler  pricked  up  his  ears,  and  listened  better 
than  if  any  one  had  been  reading  from  a  book. 

Then  Uncle  Benny  had  a  way  of  always  putting  in  some 
good  advice  to  both  men  and  boys,  and  even  to  the  girls. 
He  had  read  and  travelled  so  much  that  he  had  something 


FARMING    FOR   BOYS.  IJ 

appropriate  for  every  event  that  turned  up.  Indeed,  every 
one  was  surprised  at  his  knowing  so  much.  Besides  this, 
he  was  very  lively  and  cheerful,  and  as  fond  of  fun  as 
could  be,  and  seemed  able  to  make  any  one  laugh  whenever 
he  chose  to  indulge  in  a  joke. 

In  addition  to  all  this,  he  was  uncommonly  handy  with 
tools.  Though  an  old  man,  and  not  strong  enough  to  do 
a  full  day's  work  at  mowing  or  haymaking,  because  of  stiff 
joints,  yet  he  could  potter  about  the  house  and  barns,  with 
a  hatchet,  and  saw,  and  a  nail-box,  and  mend  up  a  hundred 
broken  places  that  had  been  neglected  for  years  before  he 
came  to  live  there.  If  he  saw  anything  out  of  order,  a 
gate  with  no  latch,  a  picket  loose  in  the  garden  fence,  or 
any  other  trifling  defect  about  the  premises,  he  went  to 
work  and  made  all  right  again.  He  even  mended  the 
broken  lights  in  the  kitchen  windows,  and  got  rid  of  all 
the  old  hats  and  bonnets  that  had  been  stuffed  into  them. 
He  put  on  new  buttons  to  keep  up  the  sashes,  and  so 
banished  the  big  sticks  from  the  wood-pile  that  had  been 
used  to  prop  them  up.  He  said  they  were  too  ugly  even 
to  look  at. 

It  was  Uncle  Benny  who  nailed  up  the  loose  door-step 
which  the  pig  had  rooted  away  from  its  place,  causing 
Lucy  Spangler  to  fall  on  the  edge  of  a  bucket  and  break 
her  nose.  Lucy  came  out  to  thank  him  for  doing  the 
thing   so   nicely  ;  for  ever  since   the   accident   to   her   nose, 


14 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 


she  had  been  very  skittish  about  putting  her  foot  on  the 
step. 

*•  Ah,  Lucy,"  said  Uncle  Benny,  "  I  wish  I  could  mend 
your  nose  as  easily." 

"Indeed  I  wish  so  too,"  replied  Lucy. 

Inside  of  the  house  were  numerous  things  that  wanted 
looking  after  in  the  same  way.  There  was  not  a  bolt  or 
a  latch  that  would  work  as  it  ought  to.  All  the  closet 
locks  were  out  of  order,  while  one  half  the  doors  refused 
to  shut.  In  fact  there  were  twenty  little  provocations  of 
this  kind  that  were  perpetual  annoyances  to  the  women. 
Uncle  Benny  went  to  work  and  removed  them  all  ;  there 
was  no  odd  job  that  he  was  not  able  to  go  through  with. 
Indeed,  it  was  the  luckiest  day  in  the  history  of  that  farm 
when  he  came  to  live  upon  it,  for  it  did  seem  that,  if  the  farm 
were  ever  to  be  got  to  rights,  he  was  the  very  man  to  do  it. 
Now,  it  was  very  curious,  but  no  one  told  Uncle  Benny  to 
do  these  things.  But  as  soon  as  he  had  anchored  himself 
at  Mr.  Spangler's  he  saw  how  much  the  old  concern  was 
out  of  gear,  and,  providing  himself  with  tools,  he  undertook, 
as  one  of  his  greatest  pleasures,  to  repair  these  long-standing 
damages,  not  because  he  expected  to  be  paid  for  it,  but 
from  his  own  natural  anxiety  to  have  things  look  as  they 
ought. 

The  boys  watched  the  old  man's  operations  with  great 
interest,  for  both  Joe  and  Tony  were  ambitious  of  knowing 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  1 5 

how  to  handle  tools.  One  day  he  took  hold  of  the  coffee- 
mill,  which  some  clumsy  fellow  had  only  half  nailed  up  in 
the  kitchen,  so  that,  whenever  the  coffee  was  ground,  who- 
ever turned  the  crank  was  sure  to  bruise  his  knuckles  against 
the  wall.  Mrs.  Spangler  and  her  daughters  of  course  did 
all  the  grinding,  and  complained  bitterly  of  the  way  the  mill 
was  fixed.  Besides,  it  had  become  shockingly  dull,  so  that 
it  only  cracked*  the  grains,  and  thus  gave  them  a  miserably 
weak  decoction  for  breakfast.  Now,  Uncle  Benny  had 
been  used  to  strong  coffee,  and  couldn't  stand  what  Mrs. 
Spangler  gave  him.  So  he  unshipped  the  mill,  took  it  to 
pieces,  with  a  small  file  sharpened  up  the  grinders,  which 
by  long  use  had  become  dull,  oiled  its  joints,  and  screwed 
it  up  in  a  new  place,  where  it  was  impossible  for  the  knuckles 
to  be  bruised.  It  then  worked  so  beautifully,  that,  instead 
of  every  one  hating  to  put  his  hand  on  the  crank,  the  diffi- 
culty was  to  keep  the  children  away  from  it,  —  they  would 
grind  on  it  an  hour  at  a  time.  Such  a  renovation  of 
damaged  goods  had  never  before  been  seen  on  Spangler's 
premises. 


i6 


FARMING  FOR   BOYS. 


CHAPTER    II. 

All  Farming  is  a  Job.  —  Stopping  a  great  Leak.  —  Giving  Boys  a 
Chance.  —  A  Lecture  in  the  Barn.  —  Working  One's  Way  up. 


'npONY  KING  was  particularly  struck  with  the  improve- 
•*-  ment  in  the  coffee-mill,  for  his  knuckles  had  received 
a  full  share  of  the  general  skinning ;  and  when  the  job 
was  done,  turning  to  the  old  man,  he  said,  "  O,  Uncle  Ben- 
ny, won't  you  teach  me  to  do  such  things  before  you  do 
all  the  odd  jobs  about  the  farm  } " 

"  Never  fear  that  all  the  odd  jobs  about  any  farm,  and  es- 
pecially such  a  one  as  this,  are  going  to  be  done  in  a 
hurry,"  he  replied,  laying  his  hand  gently  on  Tony's  head. 
"  If  the  owner  of  a  farm,  I  don't  care  how  small  it  may  be, 
would  only  take  time  to  go  over  his  premises,  to  examine 
his  fences,  his  gates,  his  barn-yard,  his  stables,  his  pig-pen, 
his  fields,  his  ditches,  his  wagons,  his  harness,  his  tools,  in- 
deed, whatever  he  owns,  he  would  find  more  odd  jobs  to  be 
done  than  he  has  any  idea  of  Why,  my  boy,  all  farming 
is  made  up  of  odd  jobs.  When  Mr.  Spangler  gets  through 
with  planting  potatoes,  don't  he  say,  'Well,  that  job's  done.' 
Did  n't  I  hear  you  say  yesterday,  when  you  had  hauled  out 
the  last  load  of  manure  from  the  barn-yard,  —  it  was  pretty 
wet  and  muddy  at  the   bottom,  you  remember,  —  *  There  *s 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  1/ 

a  dirty  job  done  ! '  And  so  it  is,  Tony,  with  everything 
about  a  farm, —  it  is  all  jobbing;  and  as  long  as  one  con- 
tinues to  farm,  so  long  will  there  be  jobs  to  do.  The  great 
point  is  to  finish  each  one  up  exactly  at  the  time  when  it 
ought  to  be  done." 

"But  that  was  not  what  I  meant.  Uncle  Benny,"  said 
Tony.     "  I  meant  such  jobs  as  you  do  with  your  tools." 

"  Well,"  replied  the  old  man,  "  it  is  pretty  much  the  same 
thing  there.  A  farmer  going  out  to  hunt  up  such  jobs  as 
you  speak  of  will  find  directly,  that,  if  he  has  no  tool-chest 
on  hand,  his  first  business  will  be  to  get  one.  Do  you  see 
the  split  in  that  board  ?  Whoever  drove  that  nail  should 
have  had  a  gimlet  to  bore  a  hole  ;  but  having  none,  he  has 
spoiled  the  looks  of  his  whole  job.  So  it  is  with  everything 
when  a  farmer  undertakes  any  work  without  proper  tools. 
Spoiling  it  is  quite  as  bad  as  letting  it  alone. 

"  You  see,  Tony,"  he  continued,  "  that  a  good  job  can't 
be  done  with  bad  tools,  —  that  split  shows  it.  No  doubt 
the  man  who  made  it  excused  himself  by  saying  that  he 
was  never  intended  for  a  mechanic.  But  that  was  a  poor 
excuse  for  being  without  a  gimlet.  Every  man  or  boy  has 
some  mechanical  ability,  and  exercising  that  ability,  with 
first-rate  tools,  will  generally  make  him  a  good  workman. 
Now  as  to  what  odd  jobs  a  farmer  will  find  to  do.  He  steps 
out  into  the  garden,  and  finds  a  post  of  his  grape-arbor 
rotted  off,  and  the  whole  trellis  out  of  shape.     It  should  be 


i8 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 


propped  up  immediately.  If  he  have  hot-beds,  ten  to  one 
there  are  two  or  three  panes  out,  and  if  they  are  not  put 
in  at  once,  the  next  hard  frost  will  destroy  all  his  plants. 
There  is  a  fruit-tree  covered  with  caterpillars'  nests,  an- 
other with  cocoons,  containing  what  will  some  day  be  but- 
terflies, then  eggs,  then  worms.  The  barn-yard  gate  has 
a  broken  hinge,  the  barn-door  has  lost  its  latch,  the  wheel- 
barrow wants  a  nail  or  two  to  keep  the  tire  from  dropping 
off,  and  there  is  the  best  hoe  with  a  broken  handle.  So 
it  goes,  let  him  look  where  he  may. 

"  Now  come  out  into  the  yard,"  continued  the  old  man, 
"and  let  us  see  what  jobs  there  are  yet  to  do." 

He  led  the  way  to  the  wood-shed.  There  was  an  axe 
with  only  half  a  handle  ;  Tony  knew  it  well>  for  he  had 
chopped  many  a  stick  with  the  crippled  tool.  Uncle  Benny 
pointed  to  it  with  the  screw-driver  that  he  still  carried  in 
his  hand,  but  said  nothing,  as  he  observed  that  Tony 
seemed  confounded  at  being  so  immediately  brought  face 
to  face  with  what  he  knew  should  have  been  done  six 
months  before.  Turning  round,  but  not  moving  a  step, 
he  again,  pointed  with  his  screw-driver  to  the  wooden  gut- 
ter which  once  caught  the  rain-water  from  the  shed-roof 
and  discharged  it  into  a  hogshead  near  by.  The  brackets 
fiom  one  end  of  the  gutter  had  rotted  off,  and  it  hung 
down  on  the  pig-pen  fence,  discharging  into  the  pen  in- 
stead of  into  the  hogshead.     The  latter  had  lost   its  lower 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  I9 

hoops  ;  they  were  rusting  on  the  ground,  fairly  grown  over 
with  grass.  The  old  man  pointed  at  each  in  turn  ;  and, 
looking  into  Tony's  face,  found  that  he  had  crammed  his 
hands  into  his  pockets,  and  was  beginning  to  smile,  but 
said  nothing.  Just  turning  about,  he  again  pointed  to 
where  a  board  had  fallen  from  the  farther  end  of  the 
shed,  leaving  an  opening  into  the  pig-pen  beyond.  While 
both  were  looking  at  the  open  place,  three  well-grown  pigs, 
hearing  somebody  in  the  shed,  rose  upon  their  hinder  feet, 
and  thrust  their  muddy  faces  into  view,  thinking  that  some- 
thing good  was  coming.  The  old  man  continued  silent, 
looked  at  the  pigs,  and  then  at  Tony.  Tony  was  evident- 
ly confused,  and  worked  his  hands  about  in  his  pockets, 
but  never  looked  into  the  old  man's  face.  It  was  almost 
too  much  for   him. 

"  Come,"  said  Uncle  Benny,  "  let  us  try  another  place," 
and  as  they  were  moving  off,  Tony  stumbled  over  a  new 
iron-bound  maul,  which  lay  on  the  ground,  the  handle  hav- 
ing been  broken  short  off  in  its  socket. 

"  How  the  jobs  turn  up  ! "  observed  Uncle  Benny.     "  Hov 
many  have  we  here } " 

"  I  should   say  about  five,"  replied  Tony. 

"  Yes,"  added  the  old  man,  "  and  all  within  rAf^'it  of  ^.uch 
other." 

As  they  approached  the  hog-pen,  they  v^jco^ri^ered  a 
strong  smell,  and  there  was  a  prodigious  runcwf^  und  tum- 


20 


FARMING   FOR  BOYS. 


bling  among  the  animals.  They  looked  over  the  shabby 
fence  that  formed  the  pen. 

"Any  jobs  here,  Tony.?"  inquired  Uncle  Benny. 

Tony  made  no  answer,  but  looked  round  to  see  if  the 
old  man  kept  his  screw-driver,  half-hoping  that,  if  he  found 
anything  to  point  at,  he  would  have  nothing  to  point  with. 
But  raising  the  tool,  he  poised  it  in  the  direction  of  the 
feeding-trough.  Tony  could  not  avert  his  eyes,  but,  direct- 
ing them  toward  the  spot  at  which  the  old  man  pointed, 
he  discovered  a  hole  in  the  bottom  of  the  trough,  through 
which  nearly  half  of  every  feeding  must  have  leaked  out 
into  the  ground  underneath.  He  had  never  noticed  it 
until  now. 

"There's  another  job  for  you,  Tony,"  he  said.  "There's 
not  only  neglect,  but  waste.  The  more  hogs  a  man  keeps 
in-  this  way,  the  more  money  he  will  lose.  Look  at  the 
condition  of  this  pen,  —  all  mud,  not  a  dry  spot  for  the 
pigs  to  fly  to.  Even  the  sheds  under  which  they  are  to 
sleep  are  three  inches  deep  in  slush.  Don't  you  see  that 
broken  gutter  from  the  wood-shed  delivers  the  rain  right 
into  their  sleeping-place,  and  you  know  what  rains  we  have 
had  lately  ?  Ah,  Tony,"  continued  the  old  man,  "  pigs 
can't  thrive  that  are  kept  in  this  condition.  They  want 
a  dry  place  ;  they  must  have  it,  or  they  will  get  sick,  and 
a  sick  pig  is  about  the  poorest  stock  a  farmer  can  have. 
Water  or  mud  is  well  enough  for  them  to  wallow  in  occa- 
sionallv,  but   not   mud  all  the  time." 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  21 

"But  I  thought  pigs  did  best  when  they  had  plenty  of 
dirt  about  them,  they  hke  it  so,"  replied  Tony. 

"You  are  mistaken,  Tony,"  rejoined  Uncle  Benny.  "A 
pig  is  by  nature  a  cleanly  animal  ;  it  is  only  the  way  in 
which  some  people  keep  him  that  makes  him  a  filthy  one. 
Give  him  the  means  to  keep  himself  clean,  and  he  will  be 
clean  always,  —  a  dry  shed  with  dry  litter  to  sleep  in,  and 
a  pen  where  he  can  keep  out  of  the  mud  when  he  wants 
to,  and  he  will  never  be  dirty,  while  what  he  eats  will  stick 
to  his  ribs.  These  pigs  can't  grow  in  this  condition.  Then 
look  at  the  waste  of  manure !  Why,  there  are  those  thirty 
odd  loads  of  cornstalks,  and  a  great  pile  of  sweet-potato 
vines,  that  Mr.  Spangler  has  in  the  field,  all  which  he 
says  he  is  going  to  burn  out  of  his  way,  as  soon  as  they 
get  dry  enough.  They  should  be  brought  here  and  put 
in  this  mud  and  water,  to  absorb  the  liquid  manure  that 
is  now  soaking  into  the  ground,  or  evaporating  before  the 
sun.  This  liquor  is  the  best  part  of  the  manure,  its  heart 
and  life  ;  for  nothing  can  be  called  food  for  plants  until  it 
is  brought  into  a  liquid  condition.  I  never  saw  greater 
waste  than  this.  Then  there  is  that  deep  bed  of  muck, 
not  three  hundred  yards  off,  —  not  a  load  of  it  ready  to 
come  here.  Besides,  if  the  cornstalks  and  potato-vines 
were  tumbled  in,  they  would  make  the  whole  pen  dry, 
keep  the  hogs  clean,  and  enable  them  to  grow.  But  I  sup- 
pose Mr.  Spangler  thinks  it  too  much  trouble  to  do  these 
little  things. 


22  FARMING  FOR  BOYS. 

"  Now,  Tony,"  he  continued,  "  you  can't  do  anything  prof- 
itable or  useful  in  this  world  without  some  trouble  ;  and 
as  you  are  to  be  a  farmer,  the  sooner  you  learn  this  lesson, 
the  more  easily  you  will  get  along.  But  who  is  to  do  that 
job  of  putting  a  stopper  over  this  hole  in  the  trough,  you 
or  I .? " 

"  I  '11  do  it  to-morrow.  Uncle  Benny,"  replied  Tony. 

"  To-morrow  ?  To-morrow  won't  do  for  me.  A  job  that 
needs  doing  as  badly  as  this,  should  be  done  at  once  ;  it 's 
one  thing  less  to  think  of,  don't  you  know  that  ?  Besides, 
did  n't  you  want  to  do  some  jobs  ? "  rejoined  Uncle  Benny. 

Tony  had  never  been  accustomed  to  this  way  of  hurry- 
ing up  things  ;  but  he  felt  himself  fairly  cornered.  He 
did  n't  care  much  about  the  dirt  in  the  trough  ;  it  was 
the  unusual  promptness  of  the  demand  that  staggered  him. 

"  Run  to  the  house  and  ask  Mrs.  Spangler  to  give  you 
an  old  tin  cup  or  kettle,  —  anything  to  make  a  patch  big 
enough  to  cover  this  hole,"  said  Uncle  Benny  ;  "  and  bring 
that  hammer  and  a  dozen  lath-nails  you  '11  find  in  my 
tool-chest." 

Tony  did  as  he  was  directed,  and  brought  back  a  quart 
mug  with  a  small  hole  in  the  bottom,  which  a  single  drop 
of  solder  would  have  made  tight  as  ever. 

"  I  guess  the  swill  is  worth  more  to  the  hogs  than  even 
a  new  mug  would  be,  Tony,"  said  Uncle  Benny,  holding 
up  the  mug  to  the  sun,  to  see  how  small  a  defect  had  con- 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  2$ 

demned  it.  Then,  knocking  out  the  bottom,  and  straight- 
ening it  with  his  hammer  on  the  post,  he  told  Tony  to 
step  over  the  fence  into  the  trough.  It  was  not  a  very 
nice  place  to  get  into,  but  over  he  went ;  and,  the  nails  and 
hammer  being  handed  to  him,  he  covered  the  hole  with 
the  tin,  put  in  the  nails  round  the  edge,  hammered  the 
edge  flat,  and  in  ten  minutes  all  was  done. 

"  There,  Tony,  is  a  six  months'  leak  stopped  in  ten  min- 
utes. Nothing  like  the  present  time,  —  will  you  remember 
hat  ?  Never  put  off  till  to-morrow  what  can  be  done  to- 
day. Now  run  back  with  the  hammer  and  these  two  nails, 
and  put  this  remnant  of  the  tin  cup  in  my  chest ;  you  '11 
want  it  for  something  one  of  these  days.  Always  save 
the  pieces,  Tony." 

Tony  was  really  surprised,  not  only  how  easily,  but  how 
quickly,  the  repair  had  been  made.  Moreover,  he  felt  grat- 
ified at  being  the  mechanic*;  it  was  the  first  time  he  had 
been  allowed  to  handle  any  of  Uncle  Benny's  nice  assort- 
ment of  tools,  and  he  liked  the  old  man  better  than  ever. 
But  who  is  there  that  does  not  himself  feel  inwardly  grat- 
ified at  conferring  a  new  pleasure  on  a  child  ?  Such  little 
contributions  to  juyenile  happiness  are  neither  barren  of 
fruit  nor  unproductive  of  grateful  returns.  They  cost  noth- 
ing, yet  they  have  rich  rewards  in  the  memory  of  the  young. 
They  make  beautiful  and  lasting  impressions.  The  gentle 
heart  that  makes  a  child   happy   will   never  be  forgotten. 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 

No  matter  how  small  the  gift  may  be,  a  kind  word,  a  little 
toy,  even  a  flower,  will  sometimes  touch  a  chord  within 
the  heart,  whose  soft  vibrations  will  continue  so  long  as 
memory  lasts. 

This  survey  of  Mr.  Spangler's  premises  was  continued 
by  Uncle  Benny  and  Tony  until  the  latter  began  to  change 
his  opinion  about  the  former  doing  up  the  odd  jobs  so 
thoroughly  that  none  would  be  left  for  him.  He  saw 
there  was  enough  for  both  of  them.  The  old  man  pointed 
out  a  great  many  that  he  had  never  even  noticed  ;  but  when 
his  attention  was  called  to  them,  he  saw  the  necessity  of 
having  them  done.  Indeed,  he  had  a  notion  that  every- 
thing about  the  place  wanted  fixing  up.  Besides,  Uncle 
Benny  took  pains  to  explain  the  reasons  why  such  and 
such  things  were  required,  answering  the  boy's  numerous 
questions,  and  imparting  to  him  a  knowledge  of  farm 
wants  and  farm  processes,  of  which  no  one  had  ever 
spoken   to   him. 

The  fact  was.  Uncle  Benny  was  one  of  the  few  men  we 
meet  with,  especially  on  a  farm,  who  think  the  boys  ought  to 
have  a  chance.  His  opinion  was,  that  farmers 'seldom  edu- 
cate their  children  properly  for  the  dutjes  they  know  they 
will  some  day  be  called  on  to  perform,  —  that  is,  they  don't 
reason  with  them,  and  explain  to  the  boy's  understanding 
the  merit  or  necessity  of  an  operation.  His  idea  was,  that 
too  many  boys  on   a  farm   were   merely  allowed  to   grow 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  25 

up.  They  were  fed,  clothed,  sent  to  school,  then  put  to 
work,  but  not  properly  taught  how  and  why  the  work 
should  be  done.  Hence,  when  they  came  to  set  up  for 
themselves,  they  had  a  multitude  of  things  to  learn  which 
they  ought  to  have  learned  from  a  father. 

He  used  to  say,  that  boys  do  only  what  they  see  the 
men  do,  —  that  all  they  learned  was  by  imitation.  They 
had  no  opportunity  allowed  them  while  at  home  of  testing 
their  own  resources  and  energies  by  some  little  indepen- 
dent farming  operation  of  their  own.  When  at  school,  the 
teacher  drills  them  thoroughly;  when  at  home,  they  re- 
ceive no  such  close  training.  The  teacher  gives  the  boy 
a  sum  to  do,  and  lets  him  work  it  out  of  his  own  resources. 
But  a  farmer  rarely  gives  a  boy  the  use  of  a  half-acre  of 
land,  on  which  he  may  raise  corn  or  cabbages  or  roots 
for  himself,  though  knowing  that  the  boy  could  plant  and 
cultivate  it  if  he  were  allowed  a  chance,  and  that  such  a 
privilege  would  be  likely  to  develop  his  energies,  and  show 
of  what  stuff  he  was  made.  The  notion  was  too  common 
that  a  boy  was  all.  work,  and  had  no  ambition,  —  whatever 
work  was  in  him  must  be  got  out  of  him,  just  as  if  he 
had  been  a  horse  or  an  ox.  It  was  known  that  at  some 
time  he  must  take  care  of  himself,  yet  he  was  not  proper- 
ly taught  how  to  do  so.  The  stimulant  of  letting  him 
have  a  small  piece  of  ground  for  his  own  profit  was  too 
rarely  held  out  to  him.     No  one  knew  what  such  a  privi- 


26 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 


lege  might  do  for  an  energetic  boy.  If  he  failed  the  first 
year,  he  would  be  likely  to  know  the  cause  of  failure,  and 
avoid  it  in  the  future.  If  he  succeeded,  he  would  feel  an 
honest  pride,  —  the  very  kind  of  pride  which  every  father 
should  encourage  in  his  child ;  and  that  success  would 
stimulate  him  to  try  again  and  do  still  better.  Both  fail- 
ure and  success  would  be  very  likely  to  set  him  to  reading 
about  what  others  had  done  in  the  same  line,  —  how  they 
had  prospered,  —  and  thus  a  fund  of  knowledge  would  be 
acquired  for  him  to  draw  upon  whenever  he  set  up  for 
himself 

As  before  mentioned,  Mr.  Spangler  made  a  strange  de- 
parture from  his  rule  of  plenty  of  work  for  everybody, 
by  quitting  home  on  a  wet  day  and  going  to  the  tavern 
rendezvous,  to  hear  what  the  neighbors  had  to  say,  leaving 
no  work  marked  out  for  his  "  hands  "  to  do  in  his  absence. 
These  wet  days  were  therefore  holidays  for  the  boys.  All 
three  were  pretty  good  readers  ;  and  so  they  usually  bor- 
rowed a  book  from  Uncle  Benny,  and  went,  on  such  occa- 
sions, into  the  barn,  and  lay  down  on  the  hay  to  read. 
Uncle  Benny  recommended  to  them  that  one  should  read 
aloud  to  the  others,  so  as  to  improve  his  voice,  and  enable 
each  to  set  the  other  right,  if  a  mistake  were  made.  When 
the  weather  became  too  cold  for  these  readings  in  the 
bam,  they  went  into  the  kitchen,  there  being  no  other 
room  in  the  house  in  which  a  fire  was  kept  up. 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  2/ 

One  November  morning  there  came  on  a  heavy  rain 
that  lasted  all  day,  with  an  east  wind  so  cold  as  to  make 
the  barn  a  very  uncomfortable  reading-room,  so  the  boys 
adjourned  to  the  kitchen,  and  huddled  around  the  stove. 
But  as  the  rain  drove  all  the  rest  of  the  family  into  the 
house,  there  was  so  great  an  assembly  in  what  was,  at 
the  best  of  times,  a  very  small  room,  that  Mrs.  Spangler 
became  quite  irritable  at  having  so  many  in  her  way. 
She  was  that  day  trying  out  lard,  and  wanted  the  stove 
all  to  herself  In  her  ill-humor  at  being  so  crowded  up, 
she  managed  to  let  the  lard  burn  ;  and  at  this  she  became 
so  vexed  that  she  told  Tony,  with  Joe  and  Bill,  to  go 
out,  —  she  could  n't  have  them  in  her  way  any  longer. 

They  accordingly  went  back  to  the  barn,  and  lay  down 
in  the  hay,  covering  themselves  with  a  couple  of  horse- 
blankets.  These  were  not  very  nice  things  for  one  to 
have  so  close  to  his  nose,  as  they  smelt  prodigiously 
strong  of  the  horses  ;  but  farmers'  boys  are  used  to  such 
perfumes,  and  they  kept  the  little  fellows  so  warm  that 
they  were  quite  glad  to  escape  the  crowd  and  discomfort 
of  the  kitchen.  These  became  at  last  so  great,  that  even 
Uncle  Benny,  seeing  that  he  was  not  wanted  there  just 
then,  got  up  and  went  over  to  the  barn  also.  There  he 
found  Tony  reading  aloud  from  a  newspaper  that  had 
been  left  at  the  house  by  a  pedler  a  few  days  before. 
Tony  was  reading  about  the  election,  and  how  much  one 
set  of  our  people  were  rejoicing  over  the  result. 


28 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 


As  Uncle  Benny  came  into  the  barn  Tony  called  out, 
"  Uncle    Benny,   the    President 's   elected,  —  did   you   know 

.it?" 

"  O  yes,  I  knew  it ;  but  what  President  do  you  mean  ? " 
responded   Uncle   Benny. 

"Why,  President  Lincoln.  He  was  a  poor  boy  like  me, 
you  know." 

"But  can  you  tell  me,  boys,"  asked  Uncle  Benny,  "who 
will  be  President  in  the  year  1900 } " 

"  Dear  me,  Uncle  Benny,"  replied  Tony,  "  how  should  we 
know.?" 

"Well,  I  can  tell,"  responded  the  old  man. 

The  boys  were  a  good  deal  surprised  at  hearing  these 
words,  and  at  once  sat  up  in  the  hay. 

"  Who  is  he  .'' "  demanded  Tony. 

"Well,"  replied  Uncle  Benny,  "he  is  a  boy  of  about 
your  age,  say  fifteen  or  sixteen  years  old." 

"  Does  he  live  about  here } "  inquired  Bill,  the  youngest 
of  the  party. 

"Well,  I  can't  say  as  to  that,"  answered  the  old  man, 
"but  he  lives  somewhere  on  a  farm.  He  is  a  steady, 
thoughtful  boy,  fond  of  reading,  and  has  no  bad  habits  ; 
he  never  swears,  or  tells  a  lie,  or  disobeys  his  parents." 

"  Do  you  think  he  is  as  poor  as  we  are.  Uncle  Ben- 
ny.?" said  Tony. 

"  Most    likely    he    is,"   responded    the    old    man.      "  His 


.     FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  29 

parents  must  be  in  moderate  circumstances.  But  poverty 
is  no  disgrace,  Tony.  On  the  contrary,  there  is  much 
in  poverty  to  be  thankful  for,  as  there  is  nothing  that  so 
certainly  proves  what  stuff  a  boy  is  made  of,  as  being 
born  poor,  and  from  that  point  working  his  way  up  to  a 
position  in  society,  as  well  as  to  wealth." 

"  But  do  poor  boys  ever  work  their  way  up  ? "  inquired 
Tony. 

"  Ay,  many  times  indeed,"  said  Uncle  Benny.  "  But  a 
lazy,  idle  boy  can  do  no  such  thing,  —  he  only  makes  a 
lazy  man.  Boys  that  grow  up  in  idleness  become  vaga- 
bonds. It  is  from  these  that  all  our  thieves  and  paupers 
come.  Men  who  are  successful  have  always  been  indus- 
trious. Many  of  the  great  men  in  all  countries  were 
born  poorer  than  either  of  you,  for  they  had  neither 
money  nor  friends.  President  Lincoln,  when  he  was  of 
your  age,  was  hardly  able  to  read,  and  had  no  such 
chance  for  schooling  as  you  have  had.  President  Van 
Buren  was  so  poor,  when  a  boy,  that  he  was  obhged  to 
study  his  books  by  the  light  of  pine  knots  which  he  gath- 
ered in  the  woods.  President  Lincoln  for  a  long  time 
split  rails  at  twenty-five  cents  a  hundred.  But  see  how 
they  got  up    in   the  world." 

"But  I  thought  the  Presidents  were  all  lawyers,"  said 
Tony. 

"  Well,  suppose  they  were,"  replied  Uncle  Benny ;  "  they 


30 


FARMING   FOR  BOYS. 


were  boys  first.  I  tell  you  that  every  poor  boy  in  this 
country  has  a  great  prospect  before  him,  if  he  will  only 
improve  it  as  these  men  improved  theirs.  Everything 
depends  on  himself,  on  his  own  industry,  sobriety,  and 
honesty.  They  can't  all  be  Presidents,  but  if  they  should 
all  happen  to  try  for  being  one,  they  will  be  very  likely 
to  reach  a  high  mark.  Most  of  the  rich  men  of  our 
country  began  without  a  dollar.  You  have  as  fair  a 
chance  of  becoming  rich  or  distinguished  as  many  of 
them  have  had.     You  must  always  aim  high." 

"But  how  are  we  to  make  a  beginning?"  demanded 
Joe. 

"  I  '11  tell  you,"  replied  Uncle  Benny.  But  at  that 
moment  a  loud  blast  from  the  tin  horn  sumjnoned  them 
to  dinner.  They  all  thought  it  the  sweetest  music  they 
had  heard  that  day,  and  hurried  off  to  the  house. 


FARMING  FOR  BOYS.  $1 


CHAPTER    III. 

A  Poor  Dinner.  —  What  Surface  Drainage  means.  —  The  Value  op 
Drainage.  —  A  wet  Barn-yard.  —  What  constitutes  Manure.  — 
Help  yourself.  —  The  Young  Pedler. 

AS  might  be  expected,  the  party  thus  invited  to  dinner 
had  anything  but  a  hospitable  time  of  it.  In  a  gen- 
eral way,  the  boys  received  pretty  fair  treatment  from  Mrs. 
Spangler ;  but  on  that  particular  occasion  they  saw  that 
they  were  called  in  merely  to  be  fed,  and,  the  feeding  over, 
that  it  would  be  most  agreeable  to  her  if  they  would  there- 
upon clear  out.  Things  had  gone  wrong  with  her  on  that 
unfortunate  day,  and  they  must  bear  the  brunt  of  it.  The 
good  man  of  the  house  was  absent  at  the  neighboring  tavern, 
it  being  one  of  his  rainy  days  ;  hence  the  wife  had  all  the 
remaining  household  at  her  mercy,  and,  being  mostly  an 
uncomplaining  set,  she  could  serve  them  with  impunity 
just  as  the  humor  of  the.  moment  made  it  most  convenient. 
The  dinner  was  therefore  nothing  to  speak  of,  and  was 
quite  unworthy  of  the  great  noise  which  the  tin  horn  had 
made  in  calling  them  to  it.  There  was  a  bit  of  boiled 
salt  pork,  almost  too  fat  to  eat,  with  potatoes  and  turnips, 
while  the  dessert  consisted  of  pumpkin-sauce,  which  the 
dinner  party  might  spread  upon  bread,  if  they  thought 
proper. 


32 


FARMING   FOR  BOYS. 


Uncle  Benny  devoured  his  share  of  this  rainy-day  repast 
in  silence,  but  inwardly  concluded  that  it  was  next  of  kin 
to  the  meanest  dinner  he  had  ever  eaten,  for  he  was  too 
well-bred  to  take  open  exception  to  it.  As  boys,  especially 
farmers'  boys,  are  not  epicures,  and  are  generally  born  with 
appetites  so  hearty  that  nothing  comes  amiss,  Joe  and 
Tony  managed  to  find  enough,  and  were  by  no  means  crit- 
ical,—  quality  was  not  so  important  a  matter  as  quantity. 
It  is  true  there  was  a  sort  of  subdued  mutiny  against  the 
unseasoned  pumpkin-sauce,  which  was  a  new  article  on 
Farmer  Spangler's  table,  that  showed  itself  in  a  general 
hesitancy  even  to  taste  it,  and  in  a  good  long  smell  or 
two  before  a  mouthful  was  ventured  on ;  which  being  ob- 
served by  Mrs.  Spangler,  she  did  unbend  sufficiently  to  say 
that  she  had  intended  to  give  them  pumpkin-pies,  but  an 
accident  to  her  lard  had  interrupted  her  plans,  so  she  gave 
them  the  best  she  had,  and  promised  the  pies  for  next  day. 

As  Uncle  Benny  and  the  boys  all  knew  that  they  had 
been  called  in  merely  to  eat,  and  not  to  lounge  about  the 
stove,  and  were  therefore  expected  to  depart  as  soon  as 
they  had  dined,  when  the  scanty  meal  was  over,  they  stepped 
out  on  the  way  to  their  wonted  rendezvous,  the  barn.  The 
rain  had  ceased,  and  there  were  signs  of  a  clearing  up. 
But  the  wide  space  between  house  and  barn  was  wet  and 
muddy,  while  in  several  places  there  were  great  puddles  of 
water,  around   which   they   had   to   pick   their  way.     These 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  33 

low  places  had  always  been  an  annoyance  to  Uncle  Benny, 
as  every  rain  converted  them  into  ponds,  which  stood  some- 
times for  weeks  before  drying  up.  They  were  so  directly 
in  the  path  to  almost  everything,  that  one  had  to  navigate 
a  long  way  round  to  avoid  them ;  yet,  though  an  admitted 
nuisance,  no  one  undertook  to  fill  them  up. 

When  the  party  got  fairly  in  among  these  puddles,  the 
old  man  stopped,  and  told  the  boys  he  would  teach  them 
something  worth  knowing.  Bidding  Joe  bring  him  a  spade 
and  hoe,  he  led  the  boys  to  a  small  'puddle  which  lay  lower 
on  the  sloping  ground  than  any  other,  and  in  a  few  minutes 
opened  a  trench  or  gutter  leading  from  it  toward  an  adjoin- 
ing lowland.  The  water  immediately  flowed  away  from  the 
puddle  through  the  gutter,  until  it  fell  to  the  level  of  the 
latter.  He  then  deepened  the  gutter,  and  more  water  was 
discharged,  and  repeated  the  operation  until  the  puddle  was 
quite  empty. 

He  then  directed  Joe  to  open  a  gutter  between  the  puddle 
thus  emptied  and  a  larger  one  close  by,  then  to  connect  a 
third  with  the  second,  until,  by  means  of  hoe  and  spade,  he 
had  the  whole  series  of  puddles  communicating  with  each 
other,  those  on  the  higher  ground  of  course  discharging 
their  contents  into  that  .first  emptied,  as  it  lay  lower  than 
the  others.  When  the  work  was  completed,  there  was  a 
lively  rush  of  water  down,  through  the  gutter  first  cut, 
into  the  meadow. 
3 


34 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 


"  Now,  boys,"  said  Uncle  Benny,  "  this  is  what  is  called 
drainage,  —  surface  drainage,  —  the  making  of  water  move 
off  from  a  spot  where  it  is  a  nuisance,  thus  converting  a 
wet  place  into  a  dry  one.  You  see  how  useful  it  is  on  this 
little  piece  of  ground,  because  in  a  few  days  the  bottom  of 
these  ponds  will  become  so  dry  that  you  can  walk  over  them, 
instead  of  having  to  go  round  them  ;  and  if  Mr.  Spangler 
would  only  have  them  filled  up,  and  make  the  whole  surface 
level,  the  water  would  run  off  of  itself,  and  all  these  gutters 
could  be  filled  up,  leaving  the  yard  dry  and  firm.  These 
gutters  are  called  open  or  surface  drains,  because  they  are 
open  at  the  top  ;  but  when  you  make  a  channel  deep  enough 
to  put  in  a  wooden  trunk,  or  brush,  or  stones,  or  a  line  of 
tiles,  for  the  water  to  flow  through,  and  then  cover  up  the 
whole  so  that  one  can  walk  or  drive  over  it,  it  is  called 
an  under-drain,  because  it  is  under  the  surface  of  the 
ground." 

"  But  does   draining   do   any   good } "    inquired    Joe. 

"Why,"  repHed  Uncle  Benny,  "it  is  impossible  to  farm 
profitably  without  drainage  of  some  kind ;  and  the  more 
thoroughly  the  land  is  drained  of  its  superfluous  water, 
the  surer  and  better  will  be  the  crops.  I  suppose  that  not 
one  of  you  likes  to  have  wet  feet.  Well,  it  is  the  same 
thing  with  the  roots  and  grains  and  grasses  that  farmers 
cultivate,  —  they  don 't  like  wet  feet.  You  know  the  corn 
did  n't  grow  at   all  in  that  low  place  in  our  cornfield  this 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  35 

season  ;  that  was  because  the  water  stood  there  from  one 
rain  to  another,  —  the  corn  had  too  much  of  it.  You  also 
saw  how  few  and  small  were  the  potatoes  in  that  part  of 
the  patch  that  runs  close  down  to  the  swamp.  Water  is 
indispensable  to  the  growth  of  plants,  but  none  will  bear  an 
excessive  supply,  except  those  that  grow  in  swamps  and 
low  places  only.  Many  of  these  even  can  be  killed  by 
keeping  the  swamp  flooded  for  a  few  weeks  ;  though  they 
can  bear  a  great  deal,  yet  it  is  possible  to  give  even  them 
too  much.  Our  farms,  even  on  the  uplands,  abound  in 
low  places,  which  catch  and  hold  too  much  of  the  heavy 
rains  for  the  health  of  the  plants  we  cultivate.  The 
surplus  must  be  got  rid  of,  and  there  is  no  other  way 
to  do  that  than  by  ditching  and  draining.  Under-drain- 
ing is  always  best.  Let  a  plant  have  as  much  water 
as  it  needs,  and  it  will  grow  to  profit ;  but  give  it  too 
much,  and  it  will  grow  up  weak  and  spindling.  You 
saw  that  in  our  cornfield.  There  are  some  plants,  as  I 
said  before,  that  grow  only  in  wet  places ;  but  you  must 
know  that  such  are  seldom  useful  to  us  as  food  either 
for  man  or  beast.  Nobody  goes  harvesting  after  spatter- 
docks  or  cat-tail.  This  farm  is  full  of  low,  wet  places, 
which  could  be  drained  for  a  very  little  money,  and  the 
profits  from  one  or  two  crops  from  the  reclaimed  land 
would  pay  back  the  whole  expenses.  Indeed,  there  is 
hardly  one  farm   in  a   thousand   that  would   not   be  greatly 


36 


FARMING   FOR  BOYS. 


benefited  by  being  thoroughly  underdrained.  But  as 
these  puddles  are  nearly  empty,  come  over  to  the  barn- 
yard,—  they  will  be  dry  enough  to-morrow." 

Uncle  Benny  led  the  way  into-  a  great  enclosure  that 
was  quite  full  of  manure.  It  lay  on  a  piece  of  sloping, 
ground  adjoining  the  public  road,  in  full  view  of  every 
person  who  might  happen  to  drive  by.  It  was  not  an 
agreeable  sight  to  look  at,  even  on  a  bright  summer  day ; 
and  just  now,  when  a  heavy  rain  had  fallen,  it  was 
particularly  unpleasant.  In  addition  to  the  rain,  it  had 
received  a  copious  supply  of  water  from  the  roofs  of  all 
the  barns  and  sheds  that  surrounded  it.  Not  one  of 
them  was  furnished  with  a  gutter  to  catch  and  carry 
off  the  water  to  some  place  outside  the  barn-yard,  but 
all  that  fell  upon  them  ran  off  into  the  manure.  Of 
course  the  whole  mass  was  saturated  with  water.  Indeed, 
it  was  not  much  better  than  a  great  pond,  a  sort  of 
floating  bog,  yet  not  great  enough  to  retain  the  volume 
of  water  thus  conducted  into  it  from  the  overhanging 
roofs.  There  was  not  a  dry  spot  for  the  cows  to  standi 
upon,  and  the  place  had  been  in  this  disagreeable  con- 
dition so  long,  that  both  boys  and  men  went  into  it  as 
seldom  as  possible.  If  the  cows  and  pigs  had  had  the 
same  liberty  of  choice,  it  is  probable  they  too  would  have 
given   it   as   wide   a  berth. 

The    old    man    took   them    to   a   spot    just    outside    the 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  37 

fence,  where  a  deep  gutter  leading  from  the  barn-yard 
into  the  public  road  was  pouring  forth  into  the  latter 
a  large  stream  of  black  liquor.  As  he  pointed  down 
the  road,  the  boys  could  not  see  the  termination  of 
this  black  fluid,  it  reached  so  far  from  where  they  stood. 
It  had  been  thus  flowing,  night  and  day,  as  long  as  the 
water  collected  in  the  barn-yard.  The  boys  had  never 
noticed  any  but  the  disagreeable  part  of  the  thing,  as 
no  one  had  taken  pains  to  point  out  to  them  its  economic 
or  wasteful   features. 

"  Now,  boys,"  said  Uncle  Benny,  "  there  are  two  kinds 
of  drainage.  The  first  kind,  which  I  have  just  explained 
to  you,  will  go  far  toward  making  a  farmer  rich  ;  but  this 
kind,  which  drains  a  barn-yard  into  the  public  road,  will 
send  him  to  the  poor-house.  Here  is  manure  wasted  as 
fast  as  it  is  made,  —  thrown  away  to  get  rid  of  it,  —  and 
no  land  is  worth  farming  without  plenty  of  manure." 

"But  the  manure  stays  in  the  barn-yard,"  replied  Tony. 
"  It  is  only  the  water  that  runs  off." 

"  Did  you  ever  suck  an  orange  after  somebody  had 
squeezed  out  all  the  juice } "  asked  Uncle  Benny.  "  If 
you  did,  you  must  have  discovered  that  he  had  extracted 
all  that  there  was  in  '  it  of  any  value,  —  you  had  a  dry 
pull,  Tony.  It  is  exactly  so  with  this  barn-yard.  Liken 
it  to  an  orange,  though  I  must  admit  there  is  a  wide 
difference   in   the   flavor  of   the  two.      Here    Mr.    Spangler 


38 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 


is  extracting  the  juice,  throwing  it  away,  and  keeping  the 
dry  shell  and  insides  for  himself.  Farmers  make  manure 
for  the  purpose  of  feeding  their  plants,  —  that  is,  to  make 
them  grow.  Now,  plants  don't  feed  on  those  piles  of  straw 
and  cornstalks,  that  you  say  remain  in  the  yard,  but  on 
the  liquor  that  you  see  running  away  from  them.  That 
liquor  is  manure,  —  it  is  the  very  life  of  the  manure  heap, 
—  the  only  shape  that  the  heap  can  take  to  make  a  plant 
grow.  It  must  ferment  and  decay,  and  turn  to  powder, 
before  it  can  give  out  its  full  strength,  and  will  not  do  so 
even  then,  unless  water  comes  down  upon  it  to  extract 
just  such  juices  as  you  now  see  running  to  waste.  The 
rain  carries  those  juices  all  through  the  ground  where 
the  plant  is  growing,  and  its  thousands  of  little  rootlets 
suck  up,  not  the  powdered  manure,  but  the  liquor  satu- 
rated with  its  juices,  just  as  you  would  suck  an  orange. 
They  are  not  able  to  drink  up  solid  lumps  of  manure,  but 
only  the  fluid  extracts.  Boys,  such  waste  as  this  will  be 
death  to  any  farm,  and  your  father  must  make  an  entire 
change  in  this  barn-yard.  Don't  you  see  how  it  slopes 
toward  the  road,  no  doubt  on  purpose  to  let  this  liquid 
manure  run  off.?  He  must  remove  it  to  a  piece  of  level 
ground,  and  make  the  centre  of  it  lower  than  the  sides, 
so  as  to  save  every  drop.  If  he  could  line  the  bottom 
with  clay,  to  prevent  loss  by  soaking  into  the  ground,  so 
much   the  better.     If  he   can't  chano:e   it,    then    he    should 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  39 

raise  a  bank  here  where  we  stand,  and  keep  the  liquor  in. 
Then  every  roof  must  have  a  gutter  to  catch  the  rain, 
and  a  conductor  to  carry  it  clear  of  the  yard.  The 
manure  would  be  worth  twice  as  much  if  he  would  pile 
it  up  under  some  kind  of  cover.  Then,  too,  the  yard 
has  been  scraped  into  deep  holes,  which  keep  it  constant- 
ly so  wet  and  miry  that  no  one  likes  to  go  into  it,  and 
these  must  be  filled  up." 

"  But  would  n't  that  be  a  great  deal  of  work  ? "  inquired 
Tony. 

"Now,  Tony,"  repUed  the  old  man,  "don't  expect  to 
get  along  in  this  world  without  work.  If  you  work  to 
advantage,  as  you  would  in  doing  such  a  job  as  this,  the 
more  you  do  the  better.  You  have  set  up  to  be  a  farmer, 
and  you  should  try  to  be  a  good  one,  as  I  consider  a  poor 
farmer  no  better  than  a  walking  scarecrow.  No  man 
can  be  a  good  one  without  having  things  just  as  I  tell 
you  all  these  about  this  barn-yard  ought  to  be.  What- 
ever you  do,  do  well.  I  know  it  requires  more  work,  but 
it  is  the  kind  of  work  that  pays  a  profit,  and  profit  is 
what  most  men  are  aiming  at.  If  this  were  my  farm, 
I  would  make  things  look  very  different,  no  matter  how 
much  work  it  cost  me.  I  can  always  judge  of  a  man's 
crops  by  his  barn-yard." 

"  Then  I  'm  afraid  this  is  a  poor  place  to  learn  farm- 
ing,"   said  Joe.     "  Father   don't   know  near   as  much  about 


40 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 


doing  things  right  as  you  do,  and  he  never  talks  to  us, 
and  shows  us  about  the  farm  Hke  you." 

"He  may  know  as  much  as  I  do,  Joe,"  replied  Uncle 
Benny,  "  but  if  he  does,  he  don't  put  it  into  practice ;  — 
that  is  the  difference  between  us." 

"I  begin  to  think  it's  a  poor  place  for  me,  too,"  added' 
Tony.  "  I  have  no  friends  to  teach  me,  or  to  help 
me." 

"  To  help  you  ? "  exclaimed  the  old  man,  with  an  em- 
phasis that  was  quite  unusual  to  him;  "you  must  help 
yourself.  You  have  the  same  set  of  faculties  as  those 
that  have  made  great  men  out  of  boys  as  humbly  born 
as  you,  and  you  will  rise  or  sink  in  proportion  to  the 
energy  you  exert.  We  can  all  succeed  if  we  choose, — 
there  is  no  fence  against  fortune." 

"  What   does   that    mean } "   demanded   Tony. 

"It  means  that  fortune  is  as  an  open  common,  with  no 
hedge,  or  fence,  or  obstruction  to  get  over  in  our  efforts 
to  reach  it,  except  such  as  may  be  set  up  by  our  own 
idleness,  or  laziness,  or  want  of  courage  in  striving  to 
overcome    the    disadvantages    of    our    particular    position." 

While  this  conversation  was  going  on,  the  boys  had 
noticed  some  traveller  winding  his  slow  and  muddy  way 
up  the  road  toward  where  they  were  standing.  As  he 
came  nearer,  they  discovered  him  to  be  a  small  boy, 
not   much   larger   than   either    Joe   or  Tony ;    and    just   as 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 


41 


•?*nv. 


Uncle  Benny  had  finished  his  elucidation  of  the  fence 
against  fortune,  the  traveller  reached  the  spot  where  the 
group  were  conversing,  and  with  instinctive  good  sense 
stepped  up  out  of  the  mud  upon  the  pile  of  rails  which 
had  served  as  standing-ground  for  the  others.  He  was 
a  short,  thick-set  fellow,  warmly  clad,  of  quick  movement, 
keen,   intelligent   look,    and    a   piercing   black    eye,   having 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 


in  it  all  the  business  fire  of  a  juvenile  Shylock.  Bidding 
good  afternoon  to  the  group,  and  scraping  from  his 
thick  boots  as  much  of  the  mud  as  he  could,  he  pro- 
ceeded to  business  without  further  loss  of  time.  Lifting, 
the  cover  from  a  basket  on  his  arm,  he  displayed  its 
flashing  contents  before  the  eyes  of  Joe  and  Tony,  ask- 
ing them  if  they  did  n't  want  a  knife,  a  comb,  a  tooth- 
brush, a  burning-glass,  a  cake  of  pomatum,  or  something 
else  of  an  almost  endless  list  of  articles,  which  he  ran 
over  with  a  volubility  exceeding  anything  they  had  ever 
experienced. 

The  little  fellow  was  a  pedler.  He  plied  his  vocation 
with  a  glibness  and  pertinacity  that  confounded  the  two 
modest  farmer's  boys  he  was  addressing.  Long  intercourse 
with  the  great  public  had  given  him  a  perfect  self-pos- 
session, from  which  the  boys  fairly  shrunk  back  with 
girlish  timidity.  There  was  nothing  impudent  or  obtrusive 
in  his  manner,  but  a  quiet,  persevering  self-reliance  that 
could  not  fail  to  command  attention  from  any  audience, 
and  which,  to  the  rustics  he  was  addressing,  was  par- 
ticularly imposing.  To  Uncle  Benny  the  scene  was  quite 
a  study.  He  looked  and  listened  in  silence.  He  was 
struck  with  the  cool,  independent  manner  of  the  young 
pedler,  his  excessive  volubility,  and  the  tact  with  which 
he  held  up  to  Joe  and  Tony  the  particular  articles  most 
likely    to    attract    their    attention.     He    seemed     to    know 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  43 

intuitively  what  each  boy  coveted  the  most.  Tony's  great 
longing  had  been  for  a  pocket-knife,  and  Joe's  for  a 
jack-knife.  The  boy  very  soon  discovered  this,  and,  hav- 
ing both  in  his  basket,  crowded  the  articles  on  his  cus- 
tomers with  an  urgency  that  nothing  but  the  low  con- 
dition of  their  funds  could  resist.  After  declining  a 
dozen  times  to  purchase,  Tony  was  forced  to  exclaim, 
"But  we  have  no  money.  I  never  had  a  shilling  in  my 
life." 

The  pedler-boy  seemed  struck  with  conviction  of  the 
truth  of  Tony's  declaration,  and  that  he  was  only  wasting 
time  in  endeavoring  to  sell  where  there  was  no  money 
to  pay  with.  He  accordingly  replaced  the  articles  in  his 
basket,  shut  down  the  lid,  and  with  unaltered  civility 
was  bidding  the  company  good  by,  when  Uncle  Benny 
broke   silence   for   the   first   time. 

"  What   is    your   name,   my   lad } "  he   inquired. 

"John   Hancock,   sir,"   was   the   reply. 

"I  have  heard  that  name  before,"  rejoined  Uncle  Benny. 
"  You  were  not  at  the  signing  of  the  Declaration  of 
Independence  .-* " 

"  No,  sir,"  replied  the  courageous  little  fellow,  "  I  wish 
I   had   been,  —  but   my   name    was   there." 

This  was  succeeded  by  quite  a  colloquy  between  them, 
ending  with  Uncle  Benny's  purchasing,  at  a  dollar  apiece, 
the   coveted   knives,  and   presenting  them   to  the   delighted 


4* 


FARMING  FOR  BOYS. 


boys.  Then,  again  addressing  the  pedler,  he  inquired, 
"  Why   do    you  follow  this    business  of   peddling  ? " 

"Because   I    make   money  by   it,"   he   quickly  replied. 

"But  have  you  no  friends  to  help  you,  and  give  you 
employment   at   home  ? "   continued    the   old    man. 

"  Got  no  friends,  sir,"  he  responded.  "  Father  and 
mother  both  dead,  and  I  had  to  help  myself;  so  I 
turned  newsboy  in  the  city,  and  then  made  money  enough 
to   set  up  in  peddling,   and   now   I   am   making   more." 

Uncle  Benny  was  convinced  that  he  was  talking  with 
a  future  millionnaire.  But  while  admiring  the  boy's  brav- 
ery, his  heart  overflowed  with  pity  for  his  loneliness  and 
destitution,  and  with  a  yearning  anxiety  for  his  welfare. 
Laying  his  hand  on  his  shoulder,  he  said :  "  God  bless 
you  and  preserve  you,  my  boy !  Be  industrious  as  you 
have  been,  be  sober,  honest,  and  truthful.  Fear  God 
above  all  things,  keep  his  commandments,  and,  though 
you  have  no  earthly  parent,  he  'will  be  to  you  a  heavenly 
one." 

The  friendless  little  fellow  looked  up  into  the  old  man's 
benevolent  face  with  an  expression  of  surprise  and  sad- 
ness,—  surprise  at  the  winning  kindness  of  his  manner, 
as  if  he  had  seldom  met  with  it  from  others,  and  sad- 
ness, as  if  the  soft  voices  of  parental  love  had  been  recalled 
to  his  yet  living  memory.  Then,  thanking  him  with  great 
warmth,   he   bade    the    company    good    by,    and,   with   his 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  45 

basket  under  his  arm,  continued   his  tiresome  journey  over 
the   muddy  highway   to   the   next  farm-house. 

"  There ! "  said  the  old  man,  addressing  Tony,  "  did  you 
hear  what  he  said.?  *  Father  and  mother  both  dead,  and 
I  had  to  help  myself! '  Why,  it  is  yourself  over  again. 
Take   a  lesson   from   the    story   of   that   boy,   Tony!" 


46 


FARMING  FOR  BOYS. 


CHAPTER    IV. 

Idlers  in  the  Barn.  —  Uncle  Benny's  Notions.  —  How  to  make  a 
Beginning.  —  Leaving  the  Farm.  —  Boys  and  Girls.  —  Don't  quit 
THE  Farm. 


T)  Y  this  .time  the  party  found  themselves  so  well  chilled 
^-^  as  to  make  an  indoor  lodgement  of  some  kind  desir- 
able. The  kitchen  being  prohibited  ground,  for  that  day 
at  least,  Uncle  Benny  pioneered  the  way  to  the  barn, 
where  the  boys  were  glad  enough  to  wrap  themselves  in 
horse-blankets,  and,  burying  their  legs  deep  in  the  hay, 
they  were  presently  more  comfortable  than  when  sitting 
in  everybody's  way  around  Mrs.  Spangler's  smudgy  stove. 
Uncle  Benny,  covering  himself  with  a  huge  buffalo-robe, 
sat  down  upon  a  low  meal-chest,  and,  leaning  back  against 
the  front  of  the  manger,  crossed  his  legs  as  comforta- 
bly as  if  sitting  by  the  fireplace.  Very  soon  the  hired 
man  came  in.  He  had  been  left  for  the  day  unprovided 
with  work,  simply  because  it  rained  ;  that  being  sufficient 
to  take  his  employer  off  to  the  village,  to  sit  until  the 
weather  cleared  up,  listening  to  the  unprofitable  conver- 
sation of  a  country  tavern.  But  his  wages  went  on  just 
as   if   he   had   been   at  work. 

It    was    therefore     a    strange    company     of    idlers    thus 


FARMING    FOR    BOYS. 


assembled  in  the  barn,  not  one  having  anything  to  do. 
The  hired  man  might  have  easily  found  enough  to  em- 
ploy him  in  the  barn,  or  shed,  or  at  the  wood-pile,  while 
it  rained,  and  when  it  ceased  for  the  afternoon  he  could 
have  busied  himself  out  of  doors,  had  he  been  disposed 
to  seek  for  tasks  that  his  employer  had  neglected  to 
provide.  But  he  was  one  of  that  sort  of  helpers  who 
do   nothing    not    distinctly   set    before    them,  —  a   sort,   by 


48 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 


the  way,  that  no  good  farmer  will  ever  employ.  This 
man,  seeing  a  gate  open  which  he  knew  ought  to  be  shut, 
would  never  think  cf  closing  it  unless  some  one  told  him  to 
do  so.  Unless  he  stumbled  over  a  hoe  or  any  other  tool 
which  some  one  had  left  in  the  path,  he  would  be  the  last 
to  stop  and  pick  it  up,  and  carry  it  where  he  knew  it  be- 
longed. He  required,  in  fact,  as  much  looking  after  as  any 
of  the  boys.  Uncle  Benny  used  to  say  of  this  man,  that 
he  was  the  most  unprofitable  kind  of  hand  to  have  on  a 
farm. 

One  of  the  old  man's  principles  was,  never  to  have  a 
hand  about  him  who  required  telling  more  than  once  to  do 
anything.  Another  was,  that,  as  he  provided  a  place  for 
everything,  so  when  an  axe,  a  hoe,  a  spade,  or  any  other 
tool  had  been  used,  it  must  be  put  immediately  back  in  its 
place,  that  when  next  wanted  it  might  be  found,  and  that 
any  hand  who  refused  to  obey  this  law  was  not  worth  em- 
ploying. These  excellent  ideas  he  took  great  pains  to  im- 
press on  the  minds  of  the  boys,  teaching  them  the  value 
of  order,  method,  and  regularity.  He  did  once  or  twice 
undertake  to  lay  down  the  law  to  Mr.  Spangler  also ; 
but  the  latter  showed  so  much  indifference,  even  going 
so  far  as  to  say  that  he  always  found  it  too  much  trouble 
to  put  things  in  their  places,  unless  it  was  a  horse,  that 
he  gave   him    up   as   incorrigible. 

The  boys   were    often   surprised,   as   well   as   amused,  at 


FARMING   FOR  BO\S.  49 

the  nice  precision  with  which  Uncle  Benny  lived  up  to 
his  favorite  law  of  a  place  for  everything,  and  every- 
thing in  its  place.  He  would  often  send  them  up  into 
bis  chamber  to  get  something  out  of  his  tool-chest. 
Though  it  was  full  of  tools  and  other  matters,  yet  he 
seemed  to  have  a  perfect  chart  of  the  whole  contents 
imprinted  on  his  memory.  He  could  tell  them  the  exact 
spot  that  every  tool  occupied,  which  drawer  held  the 
screws,  which  the  four-penny  or  six-penny  nails,  which 
held  the  carpet-tacks,  and  so  on  to  the  very  bottom 
He  often  said  that  he  could  go  to  it  in  the  dark  and 
lay  his  hand  on  anything  he  wanted.  The  boys  always 
found  things  exactly  where  he  said  they  were.  Their 
experience  with  this  tool-chest  was  so  novel,  that  it  made 
a  great  impression  on  them,  and  they  insensibly  fell  into 
the  old  man's  orderly  habits  about  keeping  things  in  their 
proper  places. 

If  Uncle  Benny  had  felt  that  he  had  any  authority 
over  the  hired  man,  he  would  have  soon  put  him  to 
work ;  for  he  had  a  habit  of  never  letting  anybody 
stand  idling  about  him  when  there  was  anything  to  do. 
The  man's  example,  moreover,  was  hurtful  to  the  boys. 
Between  him  and  Mr.  Spangler  the  boys  would  have  been 
in  a  fair  way  to  grow  up  complete  slovens ;  for  boys, 
in  a  general  way,  are  literal  imitators  of  the  good  or 
evil  that  may  be  set  before  them. 
4 


50 


FARMING   FOR  BOYS. 


Uncle  Benny  had  a  hard  contest  to  counteract  the 
effect  of  these  daily  patterns  of  bad  management.  But 
his  manner  was  so  kind  and  sociable,  he  cultivated  their 
boyish  affections  so  assiduously,  he  entered  so  fully  into 
all  their  thoughts,  and  sympathies,  and  aspirations,  and  he 
was  so  ready  to  answer  their  numerous  questions,  as  well 
as  to  lend  them  his  tools  whenever  they  asked  him,  that 
in  the  end  they  looked  up  to  him  as  by  all  odds  the 
best  man  on  the  place.  The  last  good  turn,  of  buying 
for  them  the  very  kind  of  knife  that  they  had  so  long 
coveted,  fixed  him  immovably  in  their  affections.  It  was 
a   small    matter  for   him,   but    a  very  great   one  for  them. 

It  is  thus  that  the  education  of  a  child  begins.  The 
school-room,  and  the  teacher  who  may  be  there  enthroned, 
are  very  far  from  being  the  only  means.  It  goes  on 
without  reference  to  the  alphabet,  and  even  in  advance 
of  it.  It  begins,  as  some  one  has  beautifully  said,  "with 
a  mother's  look,  —  with  a  father's  smile  of  approbation, 
or  sign  of  reproof,  —  with  a  sister's  gentle  pressure  of 
the  hand,  or  a  brother's  noble  act  of  forbearance, — with 
handfuls  of  flowers  in  green  and  daisied  meadow,  —  with 
birds'-nests  admired,  but  not  touched,  —  with  creeping  ants, 
and  almost  imperceptible  emmets,  —  with  humming  bees, 
—  with  pleasant  walks  and  shady  lands,  —  and  with 
thoughts  directed  in  sweet  and  kindly  tones  and  words, 
to  incite  to  acts  of  benevolence,  to  deeds  of  virtue,  and 
to   the   source    of    all   virtue,    to   God   himself" 


FARMING   FOR    BOYS.  5I 

The  very  tones  of  Uncle  Benny's  voice,  his  lessons  of 
instruction  upon  every-day  topics,  his  little  kindly  gifts, 
his  confidences,  his  commendations,  and  sometimes  his 
reproofs,  were  all  important  agencies  in  the  education 
of  these  neglected  boys.  He  lent  them  books  and  papers 
to  read,  taught  them  lessons  of  morality,  and  was  con- 
stantly directing  them  to  look  upward,  to  aspire,  not  on- 
ly as  men,  but  as  immortal  beings.  The  school-room 
would  have  been  highly  advantageous  to  '  them ;  but, 
seeing  that  they  were  allowed  only  a  winter's  attendance 
there,  they  had  an  able  mentor  in  the  good  old  man 
whose   lot   had   been   cast   among   them. 

These  four  had  not  been  long  in  their  comfortable  quar- 
ters in  the  barn,  when  Tony  broke  silence  by  saying: 
"  Uncle  Benny,  you  said  that  you  would  tell  us  how  a 
poor  boy  should  make  a  beginning.  Will  you  tell  us 
now  ?" 

"  Ah,  Tony,"  replied  the  old  man,  "  there  are  fifty  ways  in 
which  to  make  a  beginning.  But  the  first  steps  in  any  be- 
ginning that  will  go  on  prosperously  and  end  happily  are 
these.  Fear  God,  honor  your  parents,  be  strictly  honest, 
never  violate  your  word,  nor  ^o  any  act  which,  if  it  after- 
wards become  known,  will  cause  you  to  feel  ashamed.  You 
saw  that  pedler-boy.  He  must  have  made  a  beginning  with 
but  little  more  than  a  shilling,  perhaps  not  so  much.  But 
he  must  have  had  pluck  as  well  as  the  shilling,  for  the  shilling 


52 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 


would  have  done  but  little  for  him  without  the  pluct 
it  going.  No  matter  how  small,  it  was  a  beginning ;  and 
if  a  boy  never  begins,  he  will  never  come  to  anything  useful. 
He  turned  his  shilling  into  dollars,  his  dollars  into  mer- 
chandise, such  as  you  saw  in  his  basket,  and  then  his  mer- 
chandise into  more  dollars  still.  That  boy  will  be  sure  to 
prosper.  I  have  no  doubt  that  he  has  money  saved  up 
somewhere.  A  beginning  shows  that  a  boy  is  in  earnest 
to  do  something,  that  he  has  a  head,  and  is  not,  like  a 
fiddler,  all  elbows.  If  it  set  him  thinking,  it  will  keep  him 
thinking,  and  this  thought  will  improve  his  chances  by  detect- 
ing errors  and  showing  him  how  to  avoid  them.  Half  the 
poor  outcasts  of  this  world  were  made  so  because  they  had  n't 
the  pedler-boy's  courage,  —  the  courage  to  begin.  Had  they 
made  a  start,  they  might  have  prospered  as  well.  You  are 
both  desirous  of  doing  something  to  make  money." 

"  Yes,  indeed ! "  shouted  the  boys  with  one  voice. 

"  Well,"  replied  Uncle  Benny,  "  a  farm  is  a  poor  place  for 
even  a  smart  boy  to  make  money  on,  unless  the  farmer  has 
heart  and  soul  enough  to  give  him  a  chance.  That  don't 
happen  as  often  as  it  should,  for  farmers  think  too  much  of 
what  only  themselves  want,  and  too  little  of  what  their  boys 
do.  This  farm  is  about  as  poor  a  one,  I  fear,  for  the  boys 
to  make  money  on  it  as  any  one  I  ever  saw,  unless  Mr. 
Spangler  thinks,  as  I  do,  that  they  ought  to  have  a  chance. 

"  Won't  you  ask  father,  some  day,  to  let  us  try  ? "  inquired 
J  oc. 


i 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  53 

*'But  I  don't  want  to  stay  here,"  added  Tony.  "I  want 
to  go  to  the  city,  to  New  York  or  Philadelphia,  and  make 
money  there." 

Uncle  Benny  was  surprised  at  hearing  this  avowal  from 
Tony  King.  It  was  the  first  intimation  he  had  ever  received 
that  Tony  wanted  to  quit  farm  life  for  city  life.  Though  he 
was  aware  that  the  poor  fellow  had  no  living  friends,  —  at 
least  none  that  he  knew  to  be  living,  —  as  the  last  of  them, 
his  father's  brother  had  gone  to  the  West  some  ten  years 
before,  and  had  not  been  heard  of  since,  yet  he  had  not 
suspected  Tony  of  having  even  thought  of  quitting  the 
farm. 

He  could  not  help  mentally  agreeing  with  him,  that  for 
an  ambitious  boy  the  prospect  was  not  encouraging.  He 
was  surrounded  by  one  of  those  combinations  of  unfriendly 
circumstances  that  almost  invariably  drive  boys  from  the 
country  to  seek  their  fortunes  in  the  city.  No  attractions 
were  set  before  him  to  make  the  farm  a  pleasant  home.  It 
seemed  as  if  Mr.  Spangler  had  wholly  forgotten  that  he  had 
himself  once  been  a  boy,  for  he  evinced  no  sympathy  with 
the  young  minds  around  him.  His  own  sons  had  no  recrea- 
tions of  his  suggesting  or  providing.  Their  holidays  oc- 
curred only  when  it  rained.  No  one  had  thoughtfully 
supplied  them  with  fishing-lines,  though  there  was  capital 
sport  within  a  walk  of  two  miles.  What  little  they  could  do 
at  fishing  was  always  done  in  a  hurry,  sometimes  in  the  rain, 


54 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 


sometimes  on  a  Sunday.  Those  were  the  only  times  when 
they  could  be  spared  from  work.  If  they  set  snares  for 
rabbits  or  muskrats,  they  were  the  rude  contrivances  which 
their  schoolmates  had  taught  them  to  make.  They  had  no 
pets,  for  they  had  never  been  taught  a  loving  disposition,  — 
no  pigeons,  no  chickens,  no  beehive,  not  even  a  dog.  The 
home  affections  had  been  so  sadly  neglected,  that  even  in 
the  hearts  of  the  Spangler  boys  there  was  an  unsatisfied 
blank.  In  Tony's  there  was  a  still  greater  one,  for  he  was 
an  orphan. 

There  was  also  quite  a  noticeable  difference  between  the 
treatment  extended  to  the  boys  and  that  which  the  girls 
received.  The  three  boys  slept  in  a  great  garret  room,  a 
rough,  unfinished  apartment,  hung  round  with  cobwebs,  and 
open  enough  to  permit  the  wasps  to  enter  and  build  long 
rows  of  nests.  There  was  nothing  to  educate  the  eye  to 
neatness  or  order,  —  no  curtains  to  the  windows,  no  carpet 
on  the  floor,  no  chairs  on  which  to  sit  while  dressing  or 
undressing,  no  looking-glass  or  washstand,  —  nothing,  in 
short,  to  give  a  cheerful  aspect  to  the  place  in  summer, 
or  to  make  it  comfortable  in  winter.  Any  room  seemed 
good  enough  for  the  boys. 

Yet  there  was  a  better  chamber  on  the  floor  below,  carpeted 
and  furnished.  But  though  strangers  never  came  to  that 
house  for  entertainment,  still  it  was  too  good  a  room  for 
the    boys.      Thus    their    personal    comfort    was    neglected. 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  55 

They  saw  nothing  around  them  to  make  home  attractive, 
nothing  to  invest  it  with  charms  exceeding  those  of  all 
other  places.  Hence  a  disposition  sprang  up  to  look  abroad 
for  comfort,  for  counting  the  chances  of  doing  and  living 
better  in  a  new  location.  There  was  a  growing  anxiety  for 
the  time  to  arrive  when  they  should  be  free  to  quit  an 
occupation  which  they  upon  whom  rested  the  highest 
obligation  to  make  it   agreeable  had   made  distasteful. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  girls  in  this  household  occupied 
one  of  its  best  chambers,  carpeted  and  furnished,  with  a 
dressing-bureau,  chairs,  and  tables,  with  curtains  to  the 
windows,  and  a  variety  of  other  accessories.  It  is  true  that 
there  is  a  natural  aptitude  in  women  for  making  even  bare 
walls  attractive,  —  for  collecting  around  them  conveniences 
and  elegances  of  their  own  devising,  and  with  very  meagre 
materials  investing  their  especial  chamber  with  an  air  of 
snugness,  cleanliness,  and  comfort  beyond  the  capacity  of 
the  other  sex.  Such  tendencies  are  inherent  in  women. 
But  the  materials  for  achieving  these  results  must  to  some 
extent  be  placed  within  their  reach.  Here  the  girls  were 
provided  with  the  essentials,  —  a  rag  carpet,  it  is  true,  and 
quite  decrepit  chairs  and  tables,  —  but  their  native  taste 
contributed  the  rest.  But  from  the  boys  even  these  es- 
sentials were  withheld  ;  and  being  deficient  in  the  house- 
keeping instinct,  they  lived  on  in  their  comfortless  garret, 
conscious  of  its  deficiencies,  but  without  the  tact  necessary 


|gO  FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  HHHI 

to  supply  them.  If  others  observed  this,  it  did  not  matter  ; 
it  was  only  the  boys'  room,  and  was  good  enough. 

Moreover,  of  a  stormy  day,  when  out-of-door  work  was 
impossible,  the  kitchen  was  always  large  enough  to  contain 
the  girls  without  their  being  in  anybody's  way  ;  but  there 
was  never  room  for  the  boys.  They  had  wet  clothes,  muddy 
shoes,  and  were  complained  of  as  sitting  down  in  the  most 
inconvenient  places  round  the  fire.  But  it  was  because  no 
others  had  been  provided  for  them.  They  soon  learned  they 
were  not  welcome  there,  —  the  room  wherein,  of  all  others, 
a  farmer's  boy  conceives  he  has  the  right  of  entrance  and 
domicile,  was  made  so  unpleasant  that  they  generally  kept 
away  from  it.  They  were  treated  too  much  as  inferiors, 
as  of  no  account  except  being  good  for  so  much  work.  It 
is  such  neglect,  such  treatment  as  this,  that  drives  hundreds 
of  well-meaning  and  deserving  boys  from  the  farm  to  the 
city.  No  doubt  there  are  many  who  live  through  it  all,  and 
remain  at  home.  No  doubt  there  are  farmers'  sons  who 
develop  superior  talents  for  some  particular  branch  of  science 
or  art,  for  the  successful  practice  of  which  a  great  city  is 
the  only  remunerative  field.  It  may  be  proper  for  such 
to  leave  the  farm,  as  every  man  should  go  where  he  feels 
he  is  most  wanted,  and  the  world  may  be  benefited  by  such 
enlargement  of  their  field  for  usefulness.  They  are  evidently 
born  for  some  other  pursuit   than   that   of  farming. 

It  was  this  general   neglect   that  was  working  on  Tony's 


FARMING  FOR  BOYS.  5/ 

active  mind  so  strongly  as  to  lead  him  to  think  of  adventuring 
on  a  city  life.  Though  he  knew  nothing  of  the  risks  of  that, 
yet  he  understood  the  discomforts  of  this.  Boy-like,  he  was 
willing  to  encounter  the  former,  though  unknown,  in  order 
to  escape  from  the  latter,  which  he  knew  too  well.  The 
.exhortations  of  Uncle  Benny  had  so  generally  ended  in  a 
condemnation  of  Mr.  Spangler's  mode  of  farming,  without 
effecting  any  marked  improvement  in  the  management,  that 
Tony  began  to  despair  of  an  amendment  in  which  he  could 
participate.  All  boys  who  happen  to  be  born  on  farms  are 
not  calculated  to  make  good  farmers.  Some  are  so  con- 
stitutionally organized  that  their  tastes  and  talents  run  in 
another  direction.  Taking  that,  they  succeed ;  but  adhering 
to  the  farm,  they  would  fail.  Others  dislike  farming  because 
of  its  hard  work,  —  no  one  whose  duty  it  is  taking  pains 
to  diversify  that  work  by  interweaving  amusement  or  rec- 
reation, or  the  stimulant  of  juvenile  profit.  Others  can 
see  in  farming  no  prospect  of  becoming  rich. 

But  Tony  did  not  belong  to  either  of  these  classes.  He 
*had  been  born  in  the  country,  had  no  aversion  to  hard  work, 
and  would  prefer  remaining  on  a  farm  ;  but  he  was  getting 
tired  of  Mr.  Spangler.  It  was  singular,  however,  that,  while 
thinking  of  making  a  change,  it  had  never  occurred  to  him 
to  go  away  and  engage  with  a  really  good  farmer,  where 
he  would  be  sure  to  learn  the  business  thoroughly.  Instead 
of  entertaining  this  sensible  idea,  he  had  thought  only  of  a 


58  FARMING  FOR  BOYS.  \ 

plunge  into  the  city.  But  Tony  was  young  in  the  experiences 
of  this  world,  and  had  much  to  learn. 

The  dissatisfaction  thus  manifested  by  Tony  to  the 
farm  life  around  him  was  a  new  difficulty  for  Uncle 
Benny  to  smooth  away.  Heretofore  he  had  had  only 
Spangler's  lapses  and  mismanagement  to  contend  with, 
but  here  was  trouble  in  a  new  quarter.  Yet  his  concern 
for  the  welfare  of  these  boys  was  so  great,  and  he  was 
so  well  satisfied  that  they  could  do  pretty  well  at  farm 
life  if  there  was  any  way  of  making  them  contented, 
that  he  resolved  to  do  his  utmost  toward  counteracting 
these  unexpected  symptoms  of  restlessness.  He  was  quite 
pleased  that  the  youngest  boy.  Bill  Spangler,  came  into 
the  barn  just  in  time  to  hear  Tony's  remark  about  quit- 
ting the  farm,  as  he  too  would  have  the  benefit  of  his 
reply. 

As  the  old  man  was  a  great  reader,  he  generally 
carried  a  newspaper  of  some  kind  in  his  pocket,  from 
which  he  was  in  the  habit  of  reading  aloud  to  the  boys 
any  article  that  struck  him  as  being  likely  to  amuse  or 
instruct  them.  Sometimes,  when  they  had  been  debating 
or  discussing  a  topic  with  him,  he  would  produce  a  paper 
containing  an  article  on  the  very  subject  they  had  been 
talking  about,  and  on  his  reading  it  aloud,  they  found 
in  it  a  remarkable  confirmation  of  what  he  had  already 
told   them.     As   it   was   in    a  newspaper,    the    boys   consid- 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  59 

ered  that  it  must  be  true,  and  as  it  always  supported 
him  in  his  views,  they  wondered  more  and  more  how 
the  old  man  came  to  know  so  much,  as  well  as  always 
to  be  right.  These  readings  became  so  popular  with 
the  boys,  that,  whenever  a  chance  offered,  they  uniformly 
inquired  if  there  was  not  something  more  in  the  paper 
that   was   worth   hearing. 

The  fact  was  that  Uncle  Benny,  discovering  how 
tractable  these  boys  were,  and  how  much  they  needed 
the  right  kind  of  instruction,  had  subscribed  for  two  or 
three  papers  which  he  knew  contained  such  reading  as 
would  be  useful  to  them.  After  examining  them  himself, 
he  would  select  some  subject  discussed  or  explained  in 
them,  which  he  thought  would  be  important  for  the 
boys  to  understand,  and  then,  putting  the  paper  into  his 
pocket,  would  give  them,  on  the  first  suitable  occasion, 
a  verbal  account  of  the  matter,  or  start  a  discussion 
about  it.  After  it  had  been  pretty  thoroughly  debated  and 
turned  over,  he  would  produce  the  paper  and  read  the  ar- 
ticle aloud.  Of  course  it  confirmed  all  that  he  had  been 
saying,  and  as  it  was  in  print  —  for  they  saw  it  there  —  it 
clinched  the  argument  beyond  dispute,  and  must  be  so. 

But  this  little  stroke  of  ingenuity  was  not  adopted  by 
Uncle  Benny  for  the  purpose  of  impressing  his  audience 
with  an  exalted  idea  of  his  superior  knowledge  or  wisdom, 
but  merely  as  an  attractive  mode  of  interesting  their  minds 


60  FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  ^HP^^I 

in  subjects  with  which  it  was  important  that  they  should 
become  well  acquainted.  It  was  surprising  how  much  his 
method  of  proceeding  interested  them.  There  has  been  a 
great  deal  said  of  the  usefulness  of  farmers'  clubs,  and  of 
the  addresses  delivered  before  them.  No  one  will  doubt 
their  having  done  good  service  to  the  farming  community, 
or  that  the  more  of  them  we  have  the  better  it  will  be  for 
us ;  but,  considering  the  size  of  Uncle  Benny's  audiences, 
and  the  general  lack  of  knowledge  pervading  them,  it  may 
be  doubted  whether  his  lectures,  delivered  sometimes  in  the 
barn,  sometimes  on  the  rider  of  a  worm-fence,  sometimes 
even  when  hoeing  up  weeds,  were  not  quite  as  productive 
of  good  as  many  others  having  not  only  larger  audiences, 
but  greater  pretensions. 

His  system  had  another  advantage.  The  boys  always 
wanted  to  see  the  newspaper  for  themselves,  to  have  it  in 
their  own  hands.  This  was  exactly  one  of  the  results  the 
old  man  was  desirous  of  bringing  about,  as  they  were  sure 
to  read  over  the  articles  he  had  himself  read  aloud,  besides 
studying  the  remaining  contents.  As  he  had  great  faith 
in  the  value  of  agricultural  papers  among  farmers'  boys,  as 
well  as  among  farmers  too,  he  kept  the  boys  supplied  with 
all  the  reading  of  this  kind  they  desired. 

Now  it  happened,  oddly  enough,  when  Tony  King  said 
he  wanted  to  give  up  farming  and  go  to  the  city,  that 
Uncle  Benny  had  that   very  week   been   reading   an   article 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  6 1 

in  a  newspaper  which  spoke  about  farmers'  boys  rushing 
into  it.  The  old  man,  being  equally  opposed  to  their  mak- 
ing such  a  change,  laid  it  down  to  Tony  very  plainly  in- 
deed. He  told  him  the  idea  was  absurd  ;  that  he  did  n't 
know  what  was  best  for  him  ;  that  his  great  want  was  to 
learn  to  be  contented  where  he  was,  and  to  wait  until  he 
was  at  least  five  years  older  and  wiser  before  he  thought 
any  more  of  changing.  Then,  by  way  of  settling  the  mat- 
ter, he  drew  the  paper  from  his  pocket  and  read  as 
follows :  — 

"The  very  worst  thing  a  country  boy  can  do  is  to  leave 
the  farm  and  come  to  the  city,  in  hopes  of  doing  better. 
Yet  they  come  here  every  week  by  dozens,  giving  up  good 
places  where  they  are  well  taken  care  of,  and  pitch  in 
among  a  crowd  of  strangers  who  take  no  notice  of  them, 
or  give  short  answers  when  they  are  applied  to  for  a 
situation,  or  even  a  small  job.  They  take  it  for  granted 
that  there  is  always  plenty  to  do  here,  and  that  it  is  an  easy 
thing  to  get  a  situation  in  a  store  or  counting-house,  where 
there  is  little  to  do  and  good  pay  for  doing  it.  They  see 
that  the  clerks  and  shop-boys  who  sometimes  come  among 
them  in  the  country  are  all  well-dressed  and  smart-looking 
fellows,  with  plenty  of  money  in  their  pockets,  which  they 
spend  as  freely  as  if  there  was  no  end  to  it,  —  gunning,  boat- 
ing, hiring  carriages  to  drive  the  girls  about,  &c.  They 
think  that  these  smart  clerks  must  have  a  capital  life  of  it 


62 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 


in  the  city.  They  also  now  and  then  hear  of  a  poor  coun- 
try boy  who  went  into  a  city  store  and  made  a  fortune  in 
a  very  short  time.  Thus  they  get  to  envying  the  life  of 
the  town  boys,  and  are  uneasy  and  restless  until  they 
make  the  trial  of  finding  out  how  difficult  and  dangerous 
such  a  life  is.  They  see  only  the  bright  side  of  the  pic- 
ture. 

"But  all  these  boys  are  greatly  mistaken.  It  may  look 
very  genteel  and  easy  to  stand  behind  a  counter  and  do 
nothing  but  measure  out  goods,  but  it  is  close  and  con- 
fining labor  nevertheless.  If  it  is  cleaner  work  than  scrap- 
ing up  a  barn-yard  or  currying  down  a  horse,  it  is  not  half  so 
wholesome.  Besides,  it  is  not  an  easy  matter  to  get  a  situa- 
tion in  a  store.  Our  city  is  full  of  boys  born  among  us, 
whose  parents  find  great  difficulty  in  obtaining  places  for 
them.  Many  of  these  boys  go  into  stores  and  offices  with- 
out getting  a  dollar  of  pay.  The  privilege  of  being  taught 
how  to  do  business  is  considered  compensation  enough, — 
they  actually  work  for  nothing  and  find  themselves.  Our 
store-boys  have  no  time  for  play.  They  have  no  green 
fields  to  look  at  or  ramble  over,  nothing  but  dust,  and  mud, 
and  hot  bricks,  with  quite  as  much  real  hard  work  as  the 
country  boys,  only  it  is  of  a  different  kind.  What  boy  of 
the  right  spirit  would  desire  to  come  here  and  merely  run 
of  shop  errands  all  day,  learning  nothing  but  how  to  go 
about  town,  when  he  could  stay  in  the  country,  sure  to  learn 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  63 

how  to  get  a  living  ?  Besides,  a  boy  here  is  surrounded 
by  temptations  to  ruin,  and  the  poorer  he  is  the  more  cer- 
tain are  they  to  lead  him  astray.  Where  one  such  does 
well,  there  are  two  who  turn  out  thieves  or  vagabonds.  We 
say  to  you,  boys,  stay  on  the  farm  where  you  are.  If  you 
are  determined  to  come,  don't  come  without  you  have  some 
friend  here  who  will  receive  you  into  his  house,  provide  you 
with  employment,  and  take  care  of  you.  But  anyhow,  wait 
until  you  are  older,  say  twenty-one  at  least.  Then,  if  you 
don't  think  better  of  it,  you  will  be  somewhat  able  to  fight 
your  way,  for  here  it  is  nothing  but  fighting." 

As  the  old  man  read  this  very  deliberately,  the  boys 
listened  with  the  utmost  attention.  "There!"  said  he, 
when  he  had  finished,  "  that  man  knows  what  he  says.  He 
lives  in  the  city,  and  understands  about  it.  You  see  that 
he  advises  you  exactly  as  I  do." 

This  unexpected  confirmation  had  a  powerful  effect  on 
the  minds  of  all  the  boys.  It  applied  so  directly  to  Tony's 
case,  as  to  make  him  think  differently  of  the  chances  of  a 
city  life.  As  usual,  he  wanted  to  see  the  article  for  himself, 
and,  beginning  to  read  it  aloud  to  the  other  boys,  the  old 
man  left  the  barn,  thinking  that  a  little  free  conversation 
on  the  subject  among  themselves  would  do  no  harm. 


64 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 


CHAPTER    V. 


Something  to  do.  —  The  Value  of  Pigeons.  —  Buying  Pigs  and 
Pigeons.  —  The  Old  Battle-Ground  at  Trenton.  —  How  to  keep 
Pigeons. 

"V  T  O  law  of  our  physical  nature  is  more  imperative  than 
-*-  ^  that  we  must  exert  ourselves,  —  we  must  have  some- 
thing to  do.  If  it  everywhere  applies  to  men,  it  acts  even 
more  energetically  upon  boys.  Activity,  mental  as  well  as 
bodily,  is  a  necessity  of  boyhood.  Nothing  is  more  irksome, 
for  a  lad  than  to  be  required  to  sit  still  for  an  hour,  because 
that  implies  the  doing  of  nothing.  Yet  give  him  hook  and 
line,  add  a  worm  or  a  grasshopper,  and  anchor  him  within 
reach  of  a  ditch  with  probably  only  a  single  fish  in  it,  and 
he  will  wait  hours  in  excited  expectation  of  a  nibble.  It 
passes  for  fishing,  and  is  therefore  enough  of  action,  for  the 
time,  to  satisfy  the  desire  for  activity  which  gives  life  and  ani- 
mation to  boyhood.  This  longing  after  actio.n,  innocent  in 
its  direction,  is  to  be  encouraged,  not  repressed.  The  rol- 
licking fellow  who  runs,  and  leaps,  and  halloos,  is  as  worthy 
of  having  his  taste  for  amusement  cultivated,  as  the  quieter 
student  whose  life  is  in  his  books,  or  the  more  calculating 
youth  whose  mind  begins  thus  early  to  run  on  the  profits 
of  trade.      The   general   trait   develops   itself  differently   in 


^ 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  6$ 

each,  and  in  all  it  should  be  promoted  and  encouraged. 
If  checked  by  violence,  or  deadened  by  neglect  or  want  of 
opportunity  for  indulgence,  discontent  succeeds.  An  urgent 
necessity  of  the  boyish  nature  thus  remaining  ungratified, 
relief  is  sought  in  distant  scenes  or  objects  which  promise 
to  afford  it. 

These  boys  on  Spangler's  farm  were  therefore  all  anxious 
to  be  doing  something  for  themselves.  It  was  not  mere  work 
they  were  coveting,  as  of  that  they  had  sufficient,  but  some 
little  venture  that  they  would  prize  as  being  exclusively  their 
own.  Uncle  Benny  comprehended  the  case  so  fully,  that  he 
took  the  first  opportunity  to  lay  the  matter  before  Mr.  Spang- 
ler,  and  to  urge  upon  -him  the  necessity  of  giving  the  boys  a 
chance.  He  said  it  would  be  a  very  small  thing  to  let  Tony 
keep  a  pig,  while  Joe  could  have  a  flock  of  pigeons,  and  Bill 
might  have  a  brood  of  chickens.  Spangler  could  n't  see  the 
necessity  for  it,  did  n't  know  what  the  boys  wanted  with  all 
these,  said  that  every  one  of  them  would  eat  corn,  and  in- 
quired where  that  was  to  come  from  ;  besides,  where  were 
they  to  get  pigs,  and  pigeons,  and  chickens  to  begin  with  ? 
The  idea  of  cheering  them  on  by  a  little  aid  did  not  enter  his 
mind.  He  had  never  yet  put  himself  out  of  the  way  to  gratify 
his  boys. 

As  to  the  corn  which  the  new  pets  were  to  eat,  the  old 
man  said,  if  he  would  permit  them,  they  could  raise  it  for 
themselves.  They  could  easily  plant  and  cultivate  a  couple 
5 


e^ 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS 


of  acres  at  odd  times,  —  before  breakfast  or  after  quitting  farm 
work ;  and  if  they  used  any  of  his  while  theirs  was  growing, 
they  would  replace  it  when,  their  crop  came  in.  Uncle  Benny 
pledged  himself  that  he  would  see  to  all  this,  that  he  would 
make  the  boys  keep  accounts  of  what  they  used,  and  indeed 
of  all  their  other  expenses,  and  that  Mr.  Spangler  should 
lose  nothing  by  it.  As  to  the  land  they  were  to  have,  he 
told  Spangler  that  he  could  spare  it  well  enough ;  that  he 
had  now  at  least  three  times  as  much  as  he  knew  how  to 
farm  properly ;  that  he  had  good  boys  about  him  who  de- 
served to  have  some  favors  shown  them  ;  and  wound  up 
by  warning  him  that  there  was  great  danger  of  all  three 
becoming  discontented,  and  disposed  to  leave  him  as  soon 
as  they  could,  unless  their  wishes  were  in  some  way  grati- 
fied. 

It  was  a  very  great  struggle  for  Spangler  to  yield  to 
proposals  of  a  kind  so  new  to  him.  But  even  his  wife  had 
less  influence  over  him  than  Uncle  Benny.  If  any  other 
person  had  made  a  similar  proposition,  he  would  have 
silenced  him  by  a  flat  refusal.  Even  as  it  was,  it  went 
very  hard  with  him  to  consent  to  any  part  of  it.  He  clung 
to  the  two  acres  the  boys  wanted,  as  if  it  was  all  the  land  he 
had ;  as,  like  many  other  men  with  large  farms,  he  had  never 
imagined  that  he  had  too  much.  But  he  objected  strenuously 
to  the  boys  being  permitted  to  keep  pigeons,  as  he  said  they 
would  attack  his  wheat-fields,  and  eat  more  grain  than  their 


FARMING   FOR   ROYS.  6j 

heads  were  worth.  Besides,  they  would  fly  away  for  miles 
round,  and  the  neighbors  would  complain  of  the  damage 
they  would  be  sure  to  do,  the  blame  of  which  would  all 
rest  on  him. 

But  the  old  man  reminded  him  that,  as  to  his  wheat 
crop,  he  starved  it  so  effectually  that  no  flock  of  pigeons 
could  make  it  much  poorer.  Besides,  he  said,  it  was  a 
great  mistake  to  suppose  that  pigeons  on  a  farm,  even 
when  kept  in  large  numbers,  were  in  the  habit  of  injur- 
ing the  grain  crops.  He  knew  that  farmers  generally 
considered  them  as  thieves  and  depredators,  and  so  shot 
them  when  they  came  upon  their  grounds;  but  they 
condemned  them  ignorantly,  and  shot  them  unwisely,  just 
as  they  did  king-birds  because  they  were  believed  to  eat 
up  their  bees,  or  crows  for  pulling  up  their  corn.  The 
king-birds,  that  are  frequently  seen  darting  at  the  bees 
about  a  hive,  eat  up  the  drones  only,  as  anybody  could 
ascertain  who  would  kill  one  and  open  his  crop.  So, 
where  the  crows  pulled  up  one  hill  of  corn,  they  de- 
voured a  hundred  grubs.  In  short,  he  made  use  of  the 
occasion  to  give  Spangler  a  lesson  on  the  history  and 
habits  of  our  common  pigeons,  that  enlarged  his  knowl- 
edge of  the  subject  very  considerably.  He  told  him  that 
in  England  pigeons  were  protected  by  law  from  being 
killed,  by  a  penalty  of  ten  dollars  in  our  money,  and 
that   in   foreign   countries  they  had   been    raised   for  centu- 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 

nes  as  a  source  of  profit.  They  are  all  fond  of  the 
seeds  of  weeds  and  of  many  wild  plants,  they  are  most 
industrious  workers  in  devouring  them.  It  is  in  search 
of  such  seeds  that  they  are  seen  alighting  in  the  fields 
at  all  seasons  of  the  year,  as  well  when  no  winter  grain 
is  ripening  as  when  it  is.  They  thus  do  the  farmer  a 
great  service  in  keeping  his  fields  clean,  by  preventing 
an   increase   of  weeds. 

No  matter  at  what  time  of  year  a  pigeon's  crop  may 
be  opened,  it  will  be  found  to  contain  at  least  eight 
times  as  much  of  the  seeds  of  weeds  as  of  wheat,  or 
rye,  or  corn,  or  other  grains.  It  is  also  very  remarkable, 
that  the  grains  thus  taken  from  the  fields  are  defective 
ones.  They  take  only  the  worthless  seeds.  For  these 
reasons  these  birds  should  be  regarded  as  the  best  weed- 
ers  that  a  farmer  can  employ ;  for  while  he  merely 
chops  up  a  weed,  often  when  it  is  so  well  grown  that 
it  ripens  its  seeds  on  the  ground  where  he  may  have 
left  it,  the  pigeons  come  along  and  make  clean  work  by 
eating  them.  The  farmer  removes  merely  the  weeds,  but 
the   pigeons   remove   the   cause   of    them. 

Any  one  who  has  kept  these  birds  on  his  premises 
must  have  noticed  how  fond  they  are  of  pecking  among 
the  rubbish  which  is  thrown  out  from  a  barn-floor  after 
threshing  wheat  or  other  grain.  They  will  search  there, 
for   many   days  together,  hunting  out  the  shrivelled  c^rains, 


I 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  69 

the  poppy-seeds  and  cockle,  and  other  pests  of  the  farm, 
thus  getting  many  a  good  meal  from  seeds  that  barn- 
yard fowls  never  condescend  to  pick  up.  When  the  lat- 
ter get  into  a  garden,  they  scratch  and  tear  up  every- 
thing, as  though  they  were  scratching  for  a  wager ;  but 
a  pigeon  is  better  bred  by  nature,  —  he  never  scratches ; 
hence  he  disturbs  no  seeds  the  gardener  may  have  planted. 
When  he  gets  into  the  garden,  it  is  either  to  get  a 
nibble  at  the  pea-vines  or  the  beans,  as  he  is  extrava- 
gantly  fond   of  both,    or   to    search   for   weeds. 

This  fondness  of  the  pigeon  tribe  for  seeds  of  plants 
injurious  to  the  farm  is  much  better  known  in  Europe 
than  with  us.  At  one  time,  in  certain  districts  of  France, 
where  large  numbers  of  pigeons  had  been  kept,  they 
were  nearly  all  killed  off.  These  districts  had  been  fa- 
mous for  the  fine,  clean,  and  excellent  quality  of  the 
wheat  raised  within  them.  But  very  soon  after  the  num- 
ber of  pigeons  had  been  reduced,  the  land  became  over- 
grown with  weeds  that  choked  the  crops.  The  straw,  in 
consequence,  grew  thin  and  weak,  while  the  grain  was 
so  deficient  in  plumpness  and  weight  as  to  render  it  un- 
fit for  seed.  Every  farmer  remarked  the  difference  when 
the  districts  had  plenty  of  pigeons  and  when  they  had 
only  a  few.  The  people  therefore  returned  to  pigeon- 
keeping.  Eveiy  landlord,  in  renting  his  farm,  required 
his   tenants   to   build    a  pigeon-house  or   dove-cot,  in    order 


70  FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 

to  insure  crops.  Many  of  these  were  very  expensive  struc- 
tures. It  has  been  further  observed  in  other  districts  in 
France,  that  where  pigeons  are  most  abundant  there  the 
wheat-fields  are  most  productive,  and  that  they  never' 
touch   seed   which   has   been   rolled   in   lime. 

The  defence  of  this  beautiful  domestic  bird  which  Un- 
cle Benny  thus  made  in  reply  to  Mr.  Spangler's  objec- 
tions quite  disarmed  him ;  for  he  had  great  respect  for 
the  old  man's  superior  knowledge ;  and  as  it  appeared 
the  pigeons  would  not  only  do  no  harm,  but  would 
really  be  likely  to  do  much  good,  he  consented  to  all 
that  was  required,  —  the  boys  should  have  pigs,  fowls, 
and  pigeons,  and  two  acres  of  ground  on  which  to  raise 
their   food. 

This  extraordinary  concession  was  made  just  before 
Christmas.  It  took  the  boys  so  by  surprise,  and  they 
were  so  excited  by  the  prospect  before  them,  that,  after 
going  to  bed,  they  talked  it  over  during  half  the.  night. 
They  had  not  been  much  used  to  receiving  Christmas  pres- 
ents, but  if  they  had,  and  had  now  been  overlooked,  they 
would  not  have  missed  them.  Tony's  gratification  was  so 
lively,  that  it  gave  a  different  turn  to  his  thoughts.  He  forgot 
all  about  wanting  to  try  his  luck  in  the  city,  and  a  new  am- 
bition sprung  up  to  remain  on  the  farm.  A  motive  had 
been  created,  a  stimulant  had  been  set  before  him  ;  there 
was  a  prospect  of  his  doing  something  he  had  long  desired, 
—  make  a  beginning. 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS  /I 

Farmers  do  not  understand  the  value  to  themselves, 
or  the  importance  to  their  boys,  of  little  concessions  like 
these.  They  are  the  surest  agencies  for  developing  the  self- 
reliance  of  a  boy.  When  working  for  himself,  labor  be- 
comes pastime,  —  it  is  sweetened  by  the  hope  of  reward. 
Lessons  set  before  the  mind  under  such  circumstances 
become  indelibly  impressed  upon  it,  for  personal  expe- 
rience is  the  best  teacher  of  all.  The  farm,  instead  of 
being  an  object  of  aversion,  becomes  one  of  preference. 
The  boy's  treasure  being  there,  there  also  will  his  heart 
be  found.  Yet  this  simple  process  for  imbuing  him  with 
a  fondness  for  rural  life,  and  of  weaning  him  from  his 
undefined  longings  after  the  trials,  the  hazards,  and  the 
disappointments  inseparable  from  venturing  on  a  life  in 
the  city,  is  so  generally  neglected  as  to  become  the  fruitful 
cause  of  numberless  desertions  of  the  country  homestead. 

As  Christmas  is  everywhere  a  holiday,  so  it  was  on  the 
Spangler  farm.  The  boys,  exuberant  and  gleeful,  were  in 
ecstasies  when  Uncle  Benny  told  them  he  intended  they 
should  go  with  him  to  Trenton,  see  the  sights,  and  look 
after  pigs  and  pigeons.  That  city  was  but  a  few  miles 
away.  They  put  the  horse  to  the  wagon,  and  drove 
off  over  a  frozen  highway  which  much  travel  had  beaten 
perfectly  smooth.  Of  course  their  whole  conversation  was 
about  what  they  were  to  see  in  Trenton,  of  their  prospective 
pets,  what  they  would  do,  and  how  much  money  they  would 


72 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 


make  another  year.  Uncle  Benny  underwent  a  crossfire 
of  questions,  and  listened  to  hopes  and  fears,  most  incessant 
and  diversified.  But  what  else  could  such  hopeful  boys  be 
expected  to  indulge  in  ?  It  was  the  first  real  jubilee  of  their 
lives,  and  the  ride  was  memorable  for  them  all. 

As  they  neared  the  city,  they  heard  the  beating  of  drums 
and  the  firing  of  distant  musketry.  Coming  still  nearer,  the 
firing  continued,  and  then  Uncle  Benny  informed  them  that 
that  day  was  the  anniversary  of  the  great  battle  of  Trenton, 
when  Washington  surprised  and  captured  the  Hessians,  and 
that  the  military  companies  of  New  Jersey  and  Pennsylvania 
were  then  holding  their  annual  celebration  of  that  memorable 
event,  by  repeating,  in  the  streets  and  suburbs  of  Trenton, 
the  same  movements,  the  same  attacks,  retreats-,  and  sur- 
render, as  in  the  battle  itself  The  boys  begged  him  to 
whip  up  and  get  in  so  that  they  might  witness  the  whole 
affair,  as  they  had  been  so  shut  up  at  home  as  never  to  have 
seen  such  a  company  of  soldiers  together.  The  old  man, 
ever  ready  to  confer  a  pleasure,  hurried  up  the  horse,  and 
had  him  snug  at  a  livery-stable  just  as  the  sham-battle 
was  fairly  under  way. 

Then  the  boys  saw  a  body  of  troops  marching  down  State 
Street.  These  represented  a  party  of  the  Hessians  who  had 
been  suddenly  routed  out  of  their  quarters  by  the  Con- 
tinentals. As  they  came  down,  they  occasionally  faced 
about  and  discharged  their  muskets  at  an  imaginary  body 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  73 

of  the  Continentals  coming  in  from  the  country.  Then 
another  division  of  Americans  came  down,  by  a  different 
street,  upon  a  second  party  of  the  Hessians,  exactly  as  it 
had  been  when  the  real  battle  was  fought.  These  also  fired, 
as  did  the  Hessians,  and  for  some  minutes  the  cracking  of 
guns  rattled  briskly  through  the  city.  Then  came  bayonet 
charges  and  countercharges,  followed  by  the  retreat  and 
complete  surrounding  of  the  Hessians.  Presently  the  boys 
saw  them  lay  down  their  arms  and  surrender  to  the  Amer- 
icans on  the  very  spot  where  the  enemy  had  surrendered 
in  1776.  It  was  an  unexpected  treat  for  the  boys  to  witness 
this  exciting  exhibition,  and  for  a  time  they  thought  nothing 
of  the  errand  on  which  they  came  to  Trenton. 

As  might  be  supposed,  the  streets  were  thronged  with 
citizens,  while  the  doors  and  windows  of  the  adjoining  houses 
were  occupied  by  spectators  of  the  scene.  The  ladies  waved 
their  handkerchiefs,  and  the  crowd  threw  up  their  hats  and 
shouted  as  they  perceived  the  victory  to  be'complete.  When 
the  Hessians  surrendered,  they  were  treated  with  quite  as 
much  attention  as  rebel  prisoners  of  the  present  day  have 
undeservedly  experienced.  Instead  of  having  their  arms 
taken  from  them,  their  pockets  searched,  and  being  marched 
off  to  prison,  the  Continentals  escorted  them  to  the  neighbor- 
ing taverns,  where  they  got  the  best  kind  of  a  dinner.  It  is 
quite  probable  their  captors  were  equally  hungry  and  thirsty 
after  the  terrible  battle  they  had  fought,  and  out  of  com- 


74  FARMING   FOR  BOYS. 

pliment  to  their  prisoners  went  through  a  similar  exercise 
with  toddy-sticks  and  carving-knives.  The  boys  were  sur- 
prised to  find,  when  the  battle  was  over,  that  nobody  had 
been  hurt ;  but  had  they  remained  in  town  until  night,  they 
would  have  seen  a  great  many  wounded  men  limping  about 
the  streets,  some  of  whom  appeared  to  have  been  shot  about 
the  head  or  in  the  neck,  and  who  limped  so  badly  as  to 
require  both  sides  of  the  pavement  to  enable  them  to  keep 
on  their  feet.  There  had  been  instances  of  these  wounded 
men  limping  over  even  into  the  gutter.  But  as  the  boys 
witnessed  none  of  these  exhibitions,  they  thought  the  sham- 
battle  the  grandest  incident  of  their  lives. 

Beside  the  citizens,  there  was  a  large  crowd  of  people 
from  the  country,  who  had  come  in  to  be  spectators  of  the 
celebration.  Though  it  had  been  regularly  kept  up,  yet  they 
did  not  seem  to  tire  of  it,  and  flocked  in  just  as  regularly  as 
the  anniversary  came  around.  Getting  out  of  this  dense 
crowd,  Uncle  Benny  took  his  party  down  Greene  Street  to  the 
narrow  old  stone  bridge  that  crosses  the  Assanpink  Creek. 
As  the  boys  were  greatly  interested  in  all  they  saw,  and 
as  the  old  man  had  recently  been  reading  to  them  this  part 
of  the  history  of  the  Revolution,  no  doubt  in  his  own  mind 
intending  to  take  them  to  see  these  very  things,  he  pointed 
out  the  bridge  as  being  the  same  old  one  where  the  British 
had  several  times  attempted  to  cross  and  get  at  Washington 
on  the  heights  upon  the  other  side  of  the  creek,  and  that 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 


75 


here  it  was  they  had  each  time  been  driven  back  with  ter- 
rible slaughter.  Here,  too,  it  was  that  the  young  girls, 
dressed  in  white,  had  scattered  flowers  in  the  road  in  front 
of  the  great  hero,  and  sung  their  beautiful  welcome,  when 
he  was  passing  over  the  bridge  after  the  war  had  closed. 

They  stayed  a  long  while  on  the  bridge,  listening  to  what 
he  said  of  it,  and  talking  over  these  old  times. 


"  Here,  boys,"  said  the  old  man,  "  is  the  same  bridge,  here 
are  the  same  streets,  on  which  these  gj-eat  battles  were 
fought,  but  the  men  who  fought  them  are  all  gone,  not  one 


76 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 


of  them  is  now  alive  unless  it  be  a  solitary  old  pensioner 
Even  the  young  girls  are  all  gone." 

"But,"  said  Bill,  the  youngest  of  the  three,  looking  up 
into  the  old  man's  face,  "  are  not  yoiL  an  old  Revolutioner } " 

"  Not  yet,"  replied  Uncle  Benny.  "  I  am  old,  but  not 
old  enough  to  be  a  Revolutioner." 

From  this  spot  they  wandered  over  the  outskirts  of  the 
city,  looking  into  the  pig-pens  that  abound  there,  in  search 
of  an  ehgible  porker  with  which  to  make  a  beginning.  They 
went  about  leisurely,  and  of  course  saw  a  great  variety,  some 
in  nice  clean  pens,  and  some  in  pens  so  foul  that  it  was 
evident  the  dirty  pigs  were  not  doing  nearly  so  well  as  the 
clean  ones.  All  this  was  carefully  pointed  out  to  the  boys, 
and  they  did  not  fail  to  remark  the  difference.  At  last  they 
came  to  a  man  who  had  a  number  of  what  he  called  the 
Chester  County  Whites,  —  fine  round  fellows  with  short 
legs,  short  ears,   short  faces,  and  long   bodies. 

This  was  the  kind  Uncle  Benny  had  been  seeking  for. 
The  boys  themselves  acknowledged  that  they  looked  nicer 
and  fatter  than  any  others  they  had  seen.  As  all  were  now 
deeply  interested  in  pork,  the  boys  bristled  up  and  entered 
into  these  matters  with  zeal ;  and  their  opinion  being  asked 
by  the  old  man  which  pig,  of  all  they  had  seen,  they  would 
prefer,  they  agreed  upon  the  Chester  Counties.  So  a  young 
sow  was  purchased,  which  would  drop  a  litter  of  the  pure 
breed  in  about  two  months.     For  this  purchase  Uncle  Benny 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  •  Jf 

advanced  the  sum  of  thirty  dollars  out  of  his  own  pocket, 
the  money  to  be  refunded  to  him  by  sale  of  the  pigs  that 
were  to  come,  the  seller  agreeing  to  deliver  the  sow  at  Mr. 
Spangler's  farm  the  following  week,  so  as  to  allow  time  for 
putting  up  a  suitable  pen. 

This  purchase  made,  they  set  out  to  inspect  the  hen-roosts 
and  pigeon-houses.  It  was  concluded  not  to  buy  any  chick- 
ens just  then,  as  Mrs.  Spangler  had  quite  a  number  already 
on  the  farm,  and  Uncle  Benny  thought  there  would  be  dan- 
ger of  disputes  arising  with  her  about  eggs  and  other  mat- 
ters, and  he  did  not  choose  to  run  the  risk  of  ruffling  her 
feathers.  But  he  advanced  four  dollars  to  pay  for  six  pairs 
of  pigeons,  which  he  was  to  receive  back  from  the  increase 
of  the  flock.  He  thought  it  better  to  lend  the  money  to  the 
boys  than  to  make  them  a  present  of  it,  as  it  would  rest  on 
their  minds  as  a  sort  of  weight  or  obligation,  teaching  them 
the  necessity  of  care  and  economy  to  clear  it  off.  The 
pigeon-dealer  put  the  birds  into  a  roomy  box  with  a  covering 
of  slats,  and  the  party  started  for  home. 

The  boys  were  at  work  early  next  morning,  under  Uncle 
Benny's  direction,  fitting  up  a  pigeon-house.  There  was  a 
large  loft  over  the  wagon-shed,  where  they  resolved  it  should 
be.  It  had  a  good,  tight  floor,  to  which  they  could  ascend 
through  a  trap  by  means  of  a  step-ladder.  The  front  was 
open,  but  this  they  soon  made  all  right  by  nailing  up  laths 
sufficiently  close  to  keep  the  pigeons  in,  but  so  far  apart  that 


;« 


FARMING   FOR    BOYS. 


they  could  put  out  their  heads  and  survey  the  premises,  so 
as  to  become  •  perfectly  familiar  with  them  before  being  al- 
lowed their  liberty.  Part  of  this  lattice-work  projected  two 
or  three  feet  beyond  the  front,  thus  affording  to  the  birds  a 
view,  from  two  sides  and  the  front,  of  all  that  was  going  on 
out  of  doors.  They  then  provided  nests  by  making  rough 
boxes  about  fifteen  inches  square  and  four  inches  deep,  which 
they  pushed  back  under  one  of  the  eaves,  giving  the  pigeons 
a  chance  at  the  seclusion  which  they  invariably  covet  when 
ready  to  lay  and  hatch  out  their  young.  These  fixtures  were 
made  of  odd  stuff  they  found  lying  about.  But  the  great 
help  toward  doing  even  this  was  found  in  the  old  man's  tool- 
chest.  They  could  have  done  very  little  without  him  and 
his  tools. 

When  these  hasty  but  sufficient  preparations  had  been 
made,  he  required  them  to  put  into  the  loft  a  low  earthen 
pan,  of  large  size,  filled  with  water,  for  the  pigeons  to  bathe 
in,  as  well  as  to  drink  from  ;  for  pigeons  are  thirsty  beings, 
and  delight  in  water.  No  creatures  enjoy  drinking  more 
heartily.  They  plunge  the  head  in  nearly  up  to  the  eyes, 
and  take  a  full  draught  at  once,  not  slowly  and  deliberately, 
like  chickens.  He  also  fitted  up  for  them  a  feeding- trough 
about  two  inches  deep,  which  he  covered  with  a  wire  net- 
work, so  as  to  keep  the  pigeons  from  getting  into  it,  but  with 
the  meshes  large  enough  for  them  to  put  in  their  bills  and 
take  out  the  food.     This  would  keep  the  latter  free  from  dirt, 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  79 

as  well  as  prevent  waste.  Then  over  one  corner  of  the  loft 
he  caused  to  be  spread  at  least  a  bushel  of  fine  gravel,  broken 
lime,  and  pounded  bricks,  to  assist  digestion  and  furnish  ma- 
terial for  the  formation  of  egg-shells.  Beside  this  there  was 
a  supply  of  common  salt,  an  article  which  is  indispensable 
to  the  health  of  pigeons. 

The  making  of  all  these  preparations  was  of  course  a  great 
affair  for  the  boys,  but  it  was  surprising  how  heartily  they 
carried  them  through.  The  simple  fact  was,  their  sympathies 
had  been  enlisted  in  a  cause  exclusively  their  own.  They 
therefore  kept  to  their  work  as  energetically  as  if  sure  to  get 
rich  by  it.  Indeed,  while  thus  engaged,  there  were  a  great 
many  conjectures  indulged  in  as  to  when  the  pigeons  would 
begin  to  lay,  how  many  eggs  would  be  hatched  in  the  course 
of  a  year,  and  whether  they  should  take  the  squabs  to  Tren- 
ton market  and  sell  them,  or  whether  it  would  not  be  better 
to  let  them  grow  up,  and  thus  increase  the  flock  to  a  large 
size,  before  they  began  to  sell  any.  There  was  a  general  im- 
patience among  them  to  hurry  up  the  laying,  and  have  it  be- 
gin immediately.  If  that  important  operation  could  have 
been  performed  by  the  boys  themselves,  there  is  no  doubt  but 
they  would  have  cheerfully  undertaken  it.  It  is  probable 
that,  if  it  had  been  in  their  line  to  do  the  hatching,  they 
would  have  undertaken  that  branch  of  the  business  also. 

.  Everything  being  thus  made  ready  to  receive  the  pigeons, 
they  were  let  loose  in  their  new  quarters,  there  to  become 


8o 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 


reconciled  to  the  strange  scenes  around  them.  The  food 
that  had  been  taken  from  the  corn-crib  was  carefully  meas- 
ured, and  entered  in  an  account-book  that  Uncle  Benny 
had  provided,  so  that  all  should  know  what  was  the  cost  of 
keeping  pigeons,  and  that  the  boys  should  be  taught  account- 
keeping,  as  well  as  the  importance  of  having  a  written  record 
of  their  doings.  Besides  these  advantages,  it  was  necessary 
for  the  satisfaction  of  Mr.  Spangler.  He  had  thought  pret- 
ty well  of  their  keeping  a  pig,  but  he  had  a  very  poor  opin- 
ion of  the  pigeons,  notwithstanding  the  luminous  disquisition 
of  Uncle  Benny  as  to  their  being  an  advantage  on  a  farm. 
He  said  from  the  first  that  they  would  eat  their  heads  off,  and 
that  he  knew  he  should  have  to  foot  the  bill.  It  was  there- 
fore highly  desirable  to  know  exactly  the  cost  of  feeding 
them,  if  it  were  only  to  satisfy  him.  As  the  responsibility 
of  the  whole  enterprise  rested  on  Uncle  Benny,  he  was  de- 
termined to  see  that  no  part  of  it  was  neglected. 

The  pigeons  very  soon  became  reconciled  to  their  new 
lodgings,  as  pigeons  always  will  be  when  they  have  roomy 
quarters,  with  plenty  to  eat  and  drink.  The  greater  the  num- 
ber, the  sooner  they  accept  a  new  place  as  their  home ;  and, 
as  a  general  rule,  the  larger  the  flock  the  better  it  thrives,  as 
pigeons  are  eminently  social  in  their  natures.  A  solitary 
pair,  put  into  a  new  house,  will  be  very  likely  to  leave  it  and 
unite  with  a  large  flock  established  elsewhere.  To  do  this 
they  will  travel  many  miles.     But  as  in  this  case  the  boys  had 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  8l 

procured  a  dozen,  there  was  sufficient  companionship  to  make 
any  home  agreeable  that  was  as  well  attended  as  this  was. 
They  were  constantly  seen  in  the  projecting  lattice-work  in 
front  of  their  quarters,  enjoying  the  sun,  stretching  their 
wings,  and  looking  all  over  the  premises,  as  if  wanting  to 
make  acquaintance  with  them. 


82  FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 


CHAPTER    VI. 

Building  a  Pig-Pen.  —  How  to  keep  Pigs.  — A  great  Increase.  —  Two 
Acres  of  Corn.  —  Liquid  Manure  the  Life  of  a  Plant. 

npHIS  important  part  of  the  general  future  being  thus 
-■-  successfully  under  way,  the  next  thing  was  to  fit  up 
a  pig-pen,  for  the  new  queen  in  the  boys'  affections  would 
very  soon  be  brought  home.  As  there  was  a  scarcity  of 
materials  on  the  farm  for  constructing  a  fashionable  modern 
pen,  with  brick  walls,  shingle  roof,  plank  floor,  and  costly 
iron  feeding-trough.  Uncle  Benny  directed  them  to  use  a 
large  old  molasses-hogshead,  that  happened  to  be  lying  idle. 
One  of  the  boys  got  into  it  and  removed  all  the  projecting 
nails  from  the  inside,  then,  placing  it  on  its  side,  and  block- 
ing it  so  that  it  could  not  roll  over,  they  put  into  it  an 
abundant  supply  of  straw  for  a  bed.  They  then  built  a 
fence  of  old  posts,  broken  rails,  pieces  of  board,  sticks 
from  the  wood-pile,  and  any  other  waste  stuff  they  could 
find.  In  fact,  there  was  nothing  else  to  be  had.  It  was  a 
tottering,  decrepit  sort  of  affair,  although  strong  enough 
to  keep  the  pig  in,  but  it  enclosed  sufficient  room  to  give 
her  a  fine  range,  while  the  great  hogshead  would  be  sure 
to  afford  a  retreat  always  dry  and  warm,  —  in  fact,  just  such 
a  shelter  as  a  pig  must  have,  if  one  expects  him  to  keep 
himself  clean  and   in  thriving  condition. 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  83 

Though  Uncle  Benny  had  himself  superintended  the  erec- 
tion of  a  structure  which  was  destined  to  be  the  theatre  for 
very  important  events,  yet,  when  finished,  he  gazed  upon 
it  with  a  sort  of  architectural  dismay.  He  had  a  nice  eye 
for  the  beautiful ;  but  here  was  a  collection  of  all  the  crippled 
boards  and  half-rotten  posts  and  rails  that  such  a  farm  as 
Spangler's  generally  contains  in  wasteful  abundance.  "It 
must  be  whitewashed,"  he  exclaimed.  "  I  am  ashamed 
of  it.  Your  pig  will  be  ashamed  of  it  too,  and  the  neigh- 
bors will  laugh  at  it.  The  hogshead  will  do,  but  the  fence 
must  be  whitewashed." 

Mr.  Spangler,  coming  up  at  that  moment,  and  hearing 
the  old  man's  remark,  joined  in  by  saying,  "  Yes !  It 
beats  me  all  hollow !  There  's  no  worm-fence  on  the  farm 
like  it." 

The  uneducated  eye  of  the  boys  being  unable  to  ap- 
preciate the  squalid  features  of  the  structure,  they  were 
surprised  at  these  disparaging  estimates  of  the  results  of 
their  labor,  but,  on  promising  that  they  would  supply  the 
whitewash  as  soon  as  the  weather  became  warmer,  the  sub- 
ject was  dropped. 

In  due  time  the  expected  and  long-desired  pig  was  brought 
to  her  future  home,  and  she  went  cheerfully  into  it,  giving 
no  critical  attention  to  the  fence,  but  making  directly  for 
the  feeding-trough,  which  had  been  crammed,  with  boyish 
generosity,  as  evidence  of  a  hearty  welcome.      She  was  a 


S4  FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 

sleek,  demure,  and  very  motherly  looking  pig,  and  ner  white 
skin  was  so  much  cleaner  than  any  of  the  dirty  razor-backed 
animals  in  Spangler's  pen  that  everybody  remarked  it.  Mrs. 
Spangler  herself,  with  all  the  girls,  could  not  resist  the 
temptation  of  coming  over  to  see  what  they  had  heard 
described  at  every  meal  since  Christmas.  Even  they  ob- 
served the  difference ;  but  one  of  them,  whose  name  was 
Nancy,  rather  spitefully  remarked  that  it  would  n't  last ; 
she  'd  soon  be  as  dirty-looking  as  the  others.  This  so 
nettled  Joe,  that  he  said  the  pig  should  be  called  after 
her  ;•  and  the  boys  falling  in  with  the  idea,  they  formally 
adopted  the  name.  Even  Uncle  Benny  always  used  it  when 
speaking  of  her. 

The  advent  of  this  animal  created  even  more  interest 
among  the  boys  than  that  of  the  pigeons.  The  latter  were 
away  up  in  the  loft,  out  of  reach,  and  not  proper  subjects 
for  handling  or  talking  to,  besides  being  shy  and  unsociable, 
except  among  themselves.  But  Nancy  was  down  upon  the 
ground,  always  accessible,  ever  desirous  of  seeing  company, 
and  with  so  quick  an  ear  that  the  lightest  approaching  foot- 
fall would  bring  her  out  of  her  warm  hogshead  to  see  what 
was  coming.  Whether  it  was  company  she  wanted,  or  a 
bucket  of  swill,  was  of  little  apparent  consequence.  She 
turned  out  regularly  when  any  one  came  near,  and  drew 
up  to  him  with  amusing  familiarity. 

The  fact  was  that  Bill  Spangler  had  become  as  attentive 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  8^ 

to  her  as  if  she  had  been  his  sweetheart,  and  he  seemed 
to  live,  and  move,  and  have  his  being  in  hanging  around 
the  pen,  or  in  getting  over  the  fence  to  give  her  a  grateful 
scratching  with  the  currycomb.  After  a  very  brief  practice 
under  this  rough  shampooing,  Nancy  took  to  lying  down 
on  her  side  the  moment  Bill  put  his  foot  over  the  fence, 
and  waited,  with  an  impatient  grunt,  for  Bill  to  begin.  It 
was  amusing  to  see  how  highly  she  relished  these  rough 
but  acceptable  attentions,  shutting  her  eyes,  as  if  oblivious 
of  all  outward  things,  even  of  the  feeding-trough,  dropping 
her  ears  in  perfect  repose,  stretching  out  her  legs,  and 
abandoning  herself  entirely  to  the  soothing  influence. 
Every  one  was  satisfied  that  Nancy's  skin  became  cleaner 
and  whiter  under  this  treatment,  even  to  the  putting  on 
of  a  silky  brightness.  Uncle  Benny  was  so  sure  that  she 
was  improving  under  it,  that  he  gave  Bill  great  credit  for 
having  undertaken  the  labor  of  two  or  three  curryings 
daily. 

Bill  also  kept  the  pen  in  order.  Having  been  provided 
with  a  clean,  dry  bed,  she  kept  that  clean  herself;  for  it  is 
the  instinct  of  a  well-bred  pig  to  keep  his  nest  in  good  order, 
if  a  nice  dry  one  be  given  him,  with  adjoining  space  for  other 
purposes.  In  this  useful  duty  Bill  was  not  dismayed  by  the 
occurrence  of  a  drizzling,  muddy  day.  On  the  contrary,  as 
the  boys  on  such  occasions  generally  had  the  most  time  to 
spare,   so    Bill    spent  his  holidays  in  Nancy's   pen,   scraping 


86 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 


and  piling  up  the  supernumerary  contents,  and  putting  in 
fresh  litter.  Of  course  his  boots  got  so  muddy,  that,  when 
going  in  to  meals,  the  girls  regarded  him  as  an  object  of 
suspicion  ;  and  when  he  happened  to  stand  too  close  to  a 
hot  stove,  especially  when  his  clothes  were  damp,  the  exhala- 
tions became  so  pungent  as  very  justly  to  expose  him  to 
the  most  damaging  imputations.  But  he  was  proof  against 
all  the  slurs  thrown  out  at  such  times.  If  his  boots  had 
been  in  the  pig-pen,  his  heart  had  been  there  also. 

Uncle  Benny  required  all  that  Nancy  consumed  to  be 
charged  against  her  in  a  separate  account,  so  that  the 
boys  should  know  whether  she  really  did  eat  her  head  off, 
as  her  namesake  in  the  house  had  spitefully  predicted  she 
would.  There  was  no  getting  for  her  even  a  mouthful  of 
kitchen-slop  ;  Miss  Nancy  had  been  so  stung  by  -having 
her  name  undervalued,  that  she  was  careful  to  throw  all 
to  her  father's  great  long-legged  hogs.  But  as  a  sort  of 
equivalent  for  this  manifestation  of  hostility,  the  boys  picked 
up  numerous  odds  and  ends  about  the  place  for  Nancy's 
benefit,  such  as  they  had  never  before  thought  of  saving. 
When  they  saw  a  stray  cabbage-leaf  or  turnip  lying  about, 
or  a  nubbin  of  corn,  they  put  it  into  their  pockets  until  they 
•  had  a  chance  of  giving  it  to  her.  Though  it  was  still  cold 
weather,  with  no  green  things  about,  yet  they  were  often 
surprised  at  the  variety  of  trifles  they  could  find  when  thus 
on   the   lookout   for   them.      Between   these   three   caterers, 


FARMING   FOR  BOYS.  Sj 

Nancy  had  quite  a  luxurious  time  of  it,  even  though  spite- 
fully cut  off  from  the  run  of  the  kitchen. 

Uncle  Benny  watched  the  behavior  of  the  boys  toward 
their  new  pets,  and  as  the  winter  wore  away  became  more 
and  more  gratified  at  the  beneficial  influence  which  the 
care  of  them  was  exercising  on  their  habits.  He  considered 
it  a  great  gain  for  a  very  small  outlay.  Nor  did  he  fail 
to  remind  Mr.  Spangler  of  the  important  fact,  going  into 
particulars  which  compelled  him  to  admit  that  these  little 
concessions  had  done  the  boys  much  good.  It  was  a  hard 
thing  for  him  to  give  up  the  convictions  of  a  lifetime,  but 
he  did  nevertheless,  —  though  sometimes  winding  up  with 
a  request  that  the  old  man  would  wait  till  the  year's  end, 
and  see  how  the  experiment  would  result. 

As  Bill  was  devoted  to  Nancy,  he  was  up  in  advance 
of  the  other  boys,  and  off  to  her  pen  to  give  her  her  break- 
fast. One  morning  early  in  March,  on  reaching  it  in  the 
performance  of  this  pleasing  duty,  he  was  confounded  by 
seeing  ten  young  pigs  in  the  hogshead.  There  was  too 
much  grunting  and  squealing  around  Nancy  to  permit  her 
to  hear  Bill's  step  as  he  came  up  to  the  pen,  nor  did  she 
happen  to  see  him.  So  he  stood  for  a  moment,  surprised 
beyond  anything  within  his  memory,  gazing  at  the  joyful 
sight,  then  turned  back  to  the  house,  routed  the  other  boys 
out  of  their  beds,  and  ran  shouting  up  to  the  girls  with  the 
glorious   news   that   Nancy   had   ten    pigs !      No    news-boy 


88  FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 

ever  cried  out  the  tidings  of  a  great  victory  over  the 
Rebels  with  such  voluble  glee,  as  when  Bill  ran  stamping 
down  stairs  with  the  news.  He  thundered  even  at  Uncle 
Benny's  door,  then  opened  it,  and  told  him  also  what  had 
taken   place. 

Of  course  it  created  a  great  sensation,  and  very  soon  the 
whole  family  was  gathered  around  Nancy's  pen.  There  was 
no  denying  the  thing ;  Nancy  had  brought  the  boys  ten 
pigs,  —  nine  plump  little  fellows  and  a  runt.  Even  Mr. 
Spangler  came  out  before  he  got  breakfast  to  see  if  it  could 
be  so,  and  if  the  pigs  looked  any  better  than  a  litter  which 
had  fallen  to  his  lot  the  week  before. 

As  to  the  boys,  they  were  pleased  beyond  measure.  Nan- 
cy came  grunting  and  sniffing  toward  the  spectators,  as  if 
the  matter  were  a  great  relief  to  her  also,  and  behaving  as 
though  a  good  warm  breakfast,  with  plenty  of  it,  would  not 
come  amiss.  Altogether  it  was  a  noisy  and  lively  scene,  and 
appeared  to  give  general  satisfaction.  But  its  real  interest 
lay  in  the  single  fact  that  Nancy  belonged  to  the  boys.  Had 
she  been  one  of  Spangler's  drove,  no  one  would  have  felt 
much  concern  about  the  matter  but  herself  It  also  went 
far  toward  establishing  another  point,  —  that  when  the  boys 
of  a  farmer's  family  are  permitted  to  interest  themselves  in 
any  little  independent  operation  of  their  own,  the  family  it- 
self is  pretty  certain  to  become  interested  also. 

That  very  day  the  boys  were  to  quit  school  for  the  winter  ; 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  89 

SO  they  hurried  off  to  the  school-house  to  spread  the  news 
among  their  fellow-pupils.  There  was  great  interest  as  well 
as  great  envy  among  them,  for  only  one  or  two  of  the  whole 
number  had  been  allowed  by  their  parents  any  privilege  of 
the  kind.  The  good  luck  of  the  Spanglers  created  so  much 
anxiety  to  imitate  them  that  there  sprang  up  a  demand  for 
pigs  that  seemed  likely  to  exhaust  the  entire  litter.  It  can 
hardly  be  doubted  that,  if  Nancy  herself  had  been  trotted 
out  into  the  school-room  with  her  squeaking  brood,  the  boys 
would  have  laid  violent  hands  on  all  of  them,  and  there  would 
have  been  so  general  a  scramble  for  pigs  as  to  send  her  home 
bereft  even  of  the  little  runt.  Bill  was  quite  carried  away  by 
his  enthusiasm,  so  far  forgetting  himself  as  to  say  that  Nan- 
cy had  eleven,  instead  of  only  ten.  This,  however,  was  an 
accidental  slip,  and  occurred  when  the  teacher  called  him  up 
to  know  what  was  the  meaning  of  the  buzzing  and  excitement 
and  inattention  to  their  lessons  which  was  shown  by  the 
scholars,  as  he  discovered  they  had  something  in  their  heads 
that  morning  more  interesting  than  reading  or  ciphering. 

When  "the  litter  was  three  weeks  old.  Uncle  Benny  told 
Bill  he  must  take  out  the  runt  pig  and  bring  it  up  by  hand, 
or  it  would  surely  die,  and  that  would  be  a  loss  of  at  least 
ten  dollars.  The  other  pigs,  which  were  fat  and  strong, 
fought  it  away  from  Nancy  so  that  it  got  scarcely  anything. 
He  said  that  even  the  runt  pig  of  a  litter  ought  to  have  a 
chance,  as  well  as  the  boys.     He  liked  to  see  fair  play  all 


90 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 


round.  Bill  accordingly  took  it  away  and  kept  it  by  itself. 
He  fed  it  on  the  kitchen  swill,  which,  having  been  cooked 
was  just  what  it  needed,  and  nursed  it  up  so  faithfully,  that 
in  the  end  it  turned  out  as  fine  as  any  in  the  litter,  while  he 
learned  the  useful  fact  that  a  poor  dwindling  pig  could  be 
saved  and  made  a  profitable  animal  by  the  exercise  of  a  little 
care. 

Before  the  middle  of  March  the  pigeons  had  laid  and 
hatched.  When  it  was  ascertained  that  most  of  the  nests 
contained  young  ones,  Uncle  Benny  directed  the  boys  to  let 
the  birds  out  by  removing  one  of  the  slats,  and  adjusting  it 
like  a  pendulum,  so  that  it  could  be  readily  swung  back  again 
into  its  place,  and  the  opening  closed.  They  began  by  open- 
ing this  swinging  door-way  an  hour  or  two  before  sunset,  as 
at  that  time  of  day  the  pigeons  would  be  certain  to  fly  only 
a  short  distance  from  home,  even  if  without  young  ories. 
They  accordingly  went  out,  took  a  short  flight,  as  if  merely 
to  practice  their  wings,  and  all  returned  in  good  time.  After 
a  while  the  door  was  opened  at  noon,  and,  the  pigeons  being 
found  to  be  thoroughly  domesticated,  the  front  lattice  was 
removed  altogether,  so  that  they  could  go  and  come  when 
they  pleased.  The  fact  of  their  having  young  ones  to  feed 
made  their  stay  a  permanent  one.  This  relieved  the  boys 
from  much  care,  and,  the  birds  having  the  range  of  the  whole 
farm,  they  obtained  in  the  fields  so  large  a  portion  of  their 
food  as  to  make  a  perceptible   diminution   of   expenses. 


FARMING    FOR   BOYS.  Ql 

After  May  had  come,  the  boys  set  about  planting  the  two 
acres  of  corn  which  they  were  to  have  for  themselves.  Span- 
gler  did  not  exactly  like  this  part  of  the  arrangement,  but 
there  was  no  getting  out  of  it  now,  as  by  this  time  the  pigs 
and  pigeons  had  consumed  so  much  corn  and  meal  that  he 
had  good  reason  to  expect  a  loss  unless  he  gave  the  boys  a 
chance  to  replace  them.  Uncle  Benny  selected  a  field  close 
to  the  barn-yard,  that  had  been  sadly  neglected.  But  there 
was  no  manure  for  it,  as  Spangler  had  emptied  the  barn-yard 
for  his  own  crops.  But  he  generously  gave  them  the  privi- 
lege of  taking  from  it  such  scrapings  as  they  could  find. 
They  accordingly  went  a  manure-hunting  with  a  will.  Tak- 
ing hoe,  and  rake,  and  shovel,  they  cleaned  out  at  least  twenty 
holes  and  corners  where  considerable  deposits  had  been  care- 
lessly left  for  several  years,  —  all,  therefore,  nicely  rotted. 
They  poked  their  hoes  under  the  barn  and  drew  forth  surpris- 
ing quantities.  They  took  up  the  loose  planks  under  where 
the  cows  and  horses  had  been  standing,  and  turned  out  exten- 
sive deposits  of  the  very  best  quality.  Spangler  was  amazed 
at  the  extent  of  these  collections,  and  now  began  to  fear  that 
he  was  likely  to  lose  manure  as  well  as  corn.  It  seemed  impos- 
sible for  him  to  entertain  any  other  idea  than  that  whatever 
he  gave  to  his  boys,  or  allowed  them  to  make  for  themselves, 
was  so  much  loss  to  himself 

The  supply  being  scanty,  they  were  unable  to  give  the 
land   a   good   broad-cast  dressing,   yet  they  had    enough  to 


92  FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 

afford  an  extra  quantity  to  each  hill.  This  they  applied  faith- 
fully and  well,  Uncle  Benny  constantly  enjoining  it  on  them 
to  feed  high,  —  that  the  corn  required  feeding  as  much  as 
the  pigs.  He  sometimes  even  thought  that  they  could  have 
done  nearly  as  well  by  putting  all  the  manure  on  one  acre 
instead  of  two,  as  in*  that  case  they  would  have  had  only  half 
as  much  ground  to  attend  to,  with  a  strong  likelihood  of  har- 
vesting quite  as  much  corn.  But  this  was  the  beginning  only, 
and  it  was  not  to  be  expected  that  things  would  go  on  as 
bravely  at  the  first  attempt  as  they  would  afterwards.  In 
reality,  the  boys  had  wanted  more  than  two  acres,  thus  adopt- 
ing, as  if  by  instinct,  the  common  error  of  undertaking  too 
much.  Like  many  others,  they  supposed  a  man's  crops  were 
in  proportion  to  the  quantity  of  ground  he  cultivated,  not  in 
proportion  to  the  thoroughness  with  which  he  enriched  it. 
But  Uncle  Benny  knew  otherwise,  and  that  two  acres  would 
be  quite  as  much  as  they  could  manage.  As  it  turned  out, 
there  were  more  than  they  had  the  means  of  manuring  prop- 
erly. 

"  I  don't  see  why  you  want  this  ground  made  so  rich.  Un- 
cle Benny,"  said  Joe  Spangler,  when  they  had  finished  plant- 
ing. "  Father  never  puts  as  much  on  his  corn  as  we  have  put 
on  this,  and  yet  you  say  it  ought  to  have  more.  It  is  very 
tedious  having  to  handle  so  much." 

The  old  man  drew  a  newspaper  from  his  pocket,  and  read 
to  his  audience  the  following  paragraph :  — 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  93 

"Thirty  years  ago  the  farmers  of  the  Genesee  and 
Mohawk  valleys  assisted  each  other,  in  the  winter,  to  cart 
their  manures  on  the  ice,  so  that  when  the  rivers  broke 
up  they  should  get  rid  of  them,  and  not  be  compelled  to 
move  their  stables ;  now,  in  those  very  valleys,  barn-yard 
manure  is  worth  two  dollafs  or  more, per  cord,  and  is  so 
much  needed,  that,  without  its  use,  a  crop  of  wheat  cannot 
be  raised  which  would  compensate  the  grower.  The  average 
crop  of  those  valleys  has  sunk  within  thirty  years  from  thirty 
bushels  to  the  acre  to  less  than  fifteen,  while  the  whole 
average  of  the  State  of  New  York  is  less  than  eleven ; 
that  of  Pennsylvania  has  sunk  to  eleven  and  a  quarter,  and 
that  of  Ohio  from  thirty-five  bushels,  to  eleven  and  a  half. 
Massachusetts  can  no  longer  raise  grain  enough  to  support 
her  manufacturing  population,  without  import  from  else- 
where ;  and  with  all  these  facts  prominently  before  them, 
many  farmers  in  these  rich  valleys  have  actually  cut  gutters 
from  their  barn-yards  across  the  public  road,  to  let  the  liquid 
manure  run  away.  This  may  be  considered  cleanliness,  but 
it  certainly  is  not  economy." 

"There,"  said  the  old  man,  "you  see  what  the  majority 
of  the  New  York  farmers  did  thirty  years  ago,  and  what 
has  been  the  result     No  manure,  no  crop." 

"But,"  replied  Tony,  "when  you  were  telling  us  about 
the  election,  I  thought  you  said  the  majority  were  always 
right." 


94  FARMING   FOR    BOYS. 

"Ah,"  rejoined  the  old  man,  "that's  a  great  mistake. 
Majorities  are  sometimes  actually  blind  to  the  truth.  When 
Noah  told  the  people  there  was  a  terrible  flood  coming, 
there  was  a  great  majority  who  would  n't  believe  a  word 
of  it.  It  was  the  minority  that  were  in  luck  that  time.  So 
will  you  be  in  your  future  practice,  if  you  turn  over  a  new 
leaf  on  the  manure  question." 

"  Blame  the  thing ! "  cried  Bill,  with  sudden  impatience, 
kicking  away  from  him  the  dead  body  of  a  huge  cat,  "it's 
been  in  my  way  all  day ! " 

"Now,  Bill,"  said  Uncle  Benny,  "bring  the  cat  here 
again  ;  I  '11  put  it  out  of  your  way.  That  cat  is  manure, 
and  must  not  be  wasted." 

They  were  then  standing  at  the  end  of  a  corn-row,  on 
the  outside  of  the  field.  Bill  went  after  the  cat,  and,  lifting 
up  the  animal  with  his  hoe,  brought  it  up  to  the  old  man. 

*'Now,"  said  he,  "plant  that  cat." 

As  directed.  Bill  took  up  the  grains  of  corn  from  the 
last  hill,  dug  a  hole  some  ten  inches  deep,  in  which  he  placed 
the  animal,  then  covered  it  with  earth,  on  which  the  grains 
were  replaced  and  again  covered,  as  before.  There  was 
a  good  deal  of  laughing  and  shouting  among  the  boys  while 
this  was  going  on  ;  but  when  the  thing  was  done,  Joe  looked 
up  to  the  old  man,  and  inquired,  "What's  the  use  of  that, 
Uncle  Benny  ? " 

"Why,"  said  he,  "you  put  a  small  shovelful  of  manure 


FARMING    FOR   BOYS.  95 

in  each  hill,  but  that  cat  is  equal  to  four  shovelfuls.  Besides, 
Joe,  it  is  a  clear  saving.  If  the  cat  had  been  allowed  to 
dry  up  on  top  of  the  ground,  its  richness  would  have  gone 
to  waste  ;  and  you  must  learn  never  to  waste  anything, 
for  it  is  by  the  saving  of  small  things,  no  matter  what  they 
may  be,  that  men  grow  rich.  Now  watch  this  corn-hill, 
and  see  how  the  roots  will  draw  up  strength  and  vigor  from 
that  decaying  carcass.  It  will  be  the  best  hill  on  the  whole 
field.     I  wish  we  had  a  cat  for  every  one  of  them." 

"  But  does  anybody  else  plant  cats  ? "  inquired  Bill. 

The  old  man  again  produced  a  newspaper,  and  read  to 
them  an  interesting  statement  by  Mr.  .Edgar  A.  Clifton,  of 
Staten  Island,  showing  how  richly  some  such  experiments 
made  by  him  had  resulted. 

When  selecting  his  particular  piece  of  ground  for  a  corn- 
field. Uncle  Benny  had  had  an  eye  to  the  adjoining  barn- 
yard. As  already  mentioned,  Mr.  Spangler  had  caused  its 
fluid  contents  to  be  discharged  into  the  public  road,  nor 
was  there  any  likelihood  of  his  going  to  the  slight  trouble 
necessary  to  prevent  such  wholesale  waste.  Uncle  Benny 
quietly  undertook  it  for  him,  by  opening  a  new  outlet  di- 
rectly into  the  cornfield.  As  Spangler  had  tried  his  hand 
at  wasting,  the  old  man  would  try  his  at  saving.  The  ground 
was  so  situated  as  to  make  this  the  work  of  only  an  hour 
or  two.  It  was  done  so  effectually,  that  not  a  drop  ran 
to  waste  as  formerly.     On  the  contrary,  whenever  a  heavy 


g6  FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 

summer  thunder-shower  fell,  there  could  be  seen  a  torrent 
of  dark  liquor  rushing  through  the  barn-yard,  and  pouring 
away  into  the  cornfield,  diffusing  itself  over  at  least  half 
an  acre.  There  were  no  means  of  causing  it  to  irrigate 
a  greater  surface.  The  rain  diluted  the  concentrated  liquor 
down  to  the  exact  strength  for  the  corn  roots  to  drink  in 
and  stimulate  the  plants. 

This  ingenious  bit  of  engineering  gave  rise  to  no  remark 
from  Spangler  beyond  his  saying  that  he  was  glad  to  see 
the  barn-yard  so  much  drier  than  formerly.  The  old  man 
had  in  fact  drained  it  effectually.  There  could  be  no 
denying  that  it  produced  remarkable  results.  Into  whatever 
part  of  the  cornfield  this  wash  of  the  barn-yard  was  carried 
by  the  spring  rains,  it  bore  with  it  so  stimulating  a  vigor  that 
there  the  corn  came  popping  up  out  of  the  ground  in  ad- 
vance of  all  other  places.  In  addition  to  coming  up  earlier, 
the  corn  was  evidently  stronger  and  healthier,  presenting 
a  deeper  tinge  of  green  throughout  the  season.  It  refused 
to  turn  yellow  under  a  succession  of  cold  days  and  colder 
nights,  though  all  the  other  plants  became  pale  and  spind- 
ling. Many  of  the  hills  showed  double  the  number  of  ears, 
that  the  others  produced. 

The  boys  could  not  fail  to  notice  these  things  from  the 
start.  The  weeds  came  in  to  share  in  this  general  feast 
of  fat  things.  As  this  had  been  a  neglected  spot,  so  there 
the  weeds  had  been   allowed,  for  many  years,  to  grow  and 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  97 

ripen  their  seeds.  These  seeds,  now  fed  by  ten  times  their 
usual  supply  of  nourishment,  sprang  up  rapidly  and  thickly 
in  proportion.  Every  dormant  germ  seemed  to  put  on 
vitality  under  the  quickening  influence.  Varieties  now 
vegetated  which  had  not  been  seen  on  that  place  for  many 
years.  These  numerous  pests  had  evidently  started  with 
a  determination  to  dispute  with  the  corn  for  undisturbed 
possession  of  the  ground.  Had  they  encountered  no  op- 
position, they  would  have  quickly  smothered  the  whole 
crop. 

But  as  they  multiplied,  so  did  the  labors  of  the  boys 
increase  in  subduing  them.  Uncle  Benny  was  compelled 
to  spend  much  of  his  time  in  keeping  this  crop  clean.  He 
had  set  out  to  raise  corn,  not  weeds.  Moreover,  he  had  a 
stake  in  it  as  well  as  the  boys.  But  while  working  with 
his  hoe  around  the  corn-hills,  he  was  never  tired  of  admiring 
the  surprising  difference  between  the  half-acre  upon  which 
the  barn-yard  had  been  emptied  and  that  of  the  remainder 
of  the  field.  The  latter  was  good,  but  the  former  was  mag- 
nificent. It  maintained  its  superiority  throughout  the  season, 
the  roots  striking  into  the  earth  so  widely  and  deeply  as 
to  hold  up  the  stalks  in  a  heavy  August  storm  which  pros- 
trated half  of  the  others. 

It  afforded,  moreover,  too  striking  an  illustration  of  the 
theory  and  practice  of  applying  manure,  to  be  overlooked. 
The  boys,  frequently  working  in  the  cornfield,  came  to  un- 
7 


98 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 


derstand  clearly  how  it  was  that  a  plant  grew  almost  wholly 
by  virtue  of  the  liquids  that  were  supplied  to  its  roots,  not 
by  merely  undecomposed  manure.  They  knew  well  that 
rain-water  was  a  good  thing,  but  here  they  saw  that,  when 
the  barn -yard  extracts  were  mingled  with  the  rain,  the 
mixture  was  the  true  food  for  plants.  So  clearly  were 
they  made  to  comprehend  this  formula,  that  they  regretted 
a  hundred  times  their  inability  to  bring  a  larger  portion 
of  the  cornfield  within  convenient  distance  of  the  barn- 
yard. 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  99 


CHAPTER    VII. 

Visit  to  a  Model  Farm.  —  The  Story  of  Robert  Allen.  —  How  to 
RAISE  Horseradish.  —  No  such  Thing  as  Luck. 

'^  I  ^HE  disposition  to  go  ahead  which  the  boys  displayed, 
-■-  as  well  as  their  aptitude  for  learning,  were  strong 
encouragements  with  Uncle  Benny  to  continue  his  fatherly 
care  over  them,  —  to  teach  them  that  it  was  impossible  to 
earn  genuine  manhood  except  by  steadily  and  industriously 
serving  out  their  boyhood.  He  found  his  own  interest  in 
all  their  little  concerns  insensibly  increasing,  and  noticed 
also  that  even  Spangler  himself  took  constant  observation 
of  their  doings,  though  he  seldom  gave  a  word  of  en- 
couragement, but  rather  doubted  whether  their  labors 
would  ever  pay  a  profit.  He  estimated  results  by  their 
money  product,  not  by  their  moral  and  educational  value. 

On  the  afternoon  of  a  fine  early-summer  day  the  old 
man  obtained  permission  to  take  them  with  him  to  a 
farm  some  two  miles  off,  for  the  purpose  of  showing  them 
how  a  really  good  farmer  managed  his  business.  The 
boys  had  often  heard  of  this  place,  and  had  many  times 
walked  by  it,  but  had  never  ventured  up  to  the  house  or 
over  the  grounds.  It  belonged  to  a  Mr.  Allen,  and  con- 
sisted  of   sixty   acres.      The   history   of   this   man   was    so 


100 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 


remarkable,  that  Uncle  Benny,  thinking  it  afforded  an 
example  that  ought  to  be  impressed  on  the  minds  of  the 
boys,  took  occasion,  as  they  walked  leisurely  along,  to  re- 
late it  to  them. 

Mr.  Allen  was  one  of  a  large  family  of  children,  his 
father  being  a  laboring  man,  so  poor  that  he  was  glad  to 
have  them  placed  out  whenever  a  situation  could  be  found 
for  them.  No  great  pains  were  taken  to  see  that  the 
places  were  good  ones,  where  a  tolerable  share  of  school- 
ing would  be  allowed,  or  where  they  would  be  likely  to 
receive  a  thorough  agricultural  education.  The  father  was 
too  poorly  off  in  the  world  to  be  very  nice  in  choosing 
places ;  besides,  his  children  had  had  so  indifferent  a  train- 
ing at  home,  that  whoever  took  them  was  quite  certain 
that,  if  they  were  ever  to  do  any  good,  they  must  be 
taught  how  to  do  it. 

This  one,  Robert,  was  accordingly  placed  with  a  very 
penurious  man,  who  allowed  him  very  little  time,  even  in 
winter,  for  schooling.  His  very  name  had  a  suspicious 
sound,  —  it  was  John  Screwme.  The  poor  boy  was  ex- 
cessively fond  of  study,  and  had  luckily  learned  to  read 
well  before  he  left  home.  He  accordingly  read  everything 
he  found  about  the  house,  and  even  carried  a  book  of  some 
kind  in  his  bosom  whenever  he  went  ploughing.  This  he 
read  and  reread  when  he  paused  to  rest  his  horses,  seek- 
ing to  carry  in  his  memory,  while  following  in  the  furrow, 


FARMING   FOR  BOYS.  lOI 

the  information  he  had  obtained.  It  was  so  when  not  at 
work,  —  the  same  passionate  desire  to  obtain  knowledge 
occupying  his  time  and  thoughts.  But  his  master's  house 
was  a  very  poor  school  in  which  to  learn,  with  very  few 
books  or  papers  about.  He  therefore  borrowed  from  the 
neighboring  boys  all  that  they  were  able  to  lend  him. 

But  this  supply  was  insufficient  for  his  wants,  as  he  had 
become  a  rapid  reader.  He  had  the  great  good  sense  to 
understand  that  it  was  important  for  him  to  qualify  himself, 
while  young,  for  the  business  he  was  to  pursue  in  after 
life,  —  that  of  farming.  Hence  he  sought  for  books  on 
agriculture  and  natural  history,  but  few  of  these  could  be 
obtained. 

His  master  was  a  widower,  with  an  only  child,  a 
daughter,  whose  temperament  was  directly  the  opposite  of 
her  father's.  She  was  as  fond  of  cultivating  flowers  as 
Robert  was  of  reading  books.  Her  father  had  indulged 
her  by  subscribing  for  an  agricultural  paper,  which  came 
once  a  month,  and  which  cost  only  half  a  dollar  a  year. 
It  was  the  cheapest  of  all,  and  therefore  he  took  it.  This 
Robert  devoured  as  soon  as  it  came,  but  it  was  far  from 
being  sufficient  for  him.  The  girl  also  wanted  more  ;  but 
as  neither  of  them  had  any  money  with  which  to  subscribe 
for  other  papers,  Robert  undertook  the  setting  of  traps  for 
muskrats,  rabbits,  and  moles,  and  succeeded  in  catching 
great  numbers  of  them.      The  girl  took  off  the  skins  and 


102 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 


dried  them,  and  Robert  walked  with  his  spoils  to  Trenton, 
and  sold  them  to  the  storekeepers.  He  thus  raised  money 
enough  to  pay  for  an  agricultural  paper  which  came  every 
week.  From  the  reading  of  this  he  derived  so  much  in- 
formation, that  he  never  afterwards  permitted  the  subscrip- 
tion to  run  out. 

Among  other  useful  things,  it  taught  him  how  to  manage 
bees.  So  he  bought  a  colony,  and,  being  extremely  ob- 
servant and  careful,  he  gradually  multiplied  them  until  the 
product  amounted  to  twenty  or  thirty  dollars  every  year. 
His  master  made  no  objection  to  his  doing  this,  as  the  bees 
consumed  only  such  food  as  would  have  been  wasted  had 
they  not  gathered  it  from  the  fields  .and  flowers.  In  this 
bee  culture  the  daughter,  Alice,  assisted  him  very  materially, 
giving  him  prompt  notice  of  a  swarm  coming  out,  and  some- 
times even  assisting  him  in  getting  them  safely  into  a  new 
hive.  Several  times,  from  the  profits  of  his  honey,  he  was 
able  to  present  her  a  handsome  book  at  Christmas,  and, 
on  more  than  one  occasion,  a  new  bonnet.  His  bees  thus 
made  it  a  very  easy  matter  to  pay  for  his  weekly  paper, 
as  well  as  to  keep  himself  supplied  with  numerous  new 
works  on  his  favorite  studies. 

As  might  be  expected,  such  a  boy  was  always  observant 
of  whatever  was  going  on  around  him,  —  of  everything  from 
which  he  could  get  a  new  practical  hint.  Having  on  one 
occasion   gone  to  Trenton  to  dispose  of  his   honey  in  the 


FARMING   FOR  BOYS. 


103 


market,  after  he  had  pocketed  his  little  roll  of  notes,  he 
strolled  leisurely  through  the  long  building,  from  end  to 
end,  to  see  what  others  had  brought  there  to  sell,  as  well 


as  to  learn  what  prices  they  were  getting.  But  he  saw 
nothing  that  attracted  his  attention  particularly,  until,  on 
coming  out  at  the  lower  end,  he  noticed  an  old  man  with 
a  very  rude   machine   resembling   that  of  a   perambulating 


104  FARMING   FOR  BOYS. 

scissors-grinder,  having  his  foot  on  the  treadle,  with  which 
he  was  driving  some  kind  of  a  mill.  He  stood  quite  a  long 
while  looking  at  the  machine,  endeavoring  to  ascertain  what 
the  old  man  was  doing.  While  thus  standing,  several 
women  and  children  came  up  in  succession,  with  little  cups 
in  their  hands,  into  which  the  old  man  measured  a  gill  or 
two  of  a  white,  pulpy  preparation,  for  which  each  buyer 
paid  him  a  few  cents.  It  struck  him  that  the  old  man  must 
be  grinding  this  pulp ;  so,  coming  close  up  to  the  machine, 
he  at  once  perceived  a  strong  odor  of  horseradish.  It  was 
this  the  old  fellow  was  grinding  ;  and  Robert  saw  that  he 
had  customers  for  it  as  fast  as  it  could  be  produced.  He 
had  seen  in  the  machine-shops  about  Trenton  many  great 
machines,  but  this  was  truly  a  grater. 

Now  he  understood  all  about  raising  horseradish,  and 
knew  that  it  could  be  grown  more  readily  even  than 
potatoes ;  but  never  having  seen  it  anywhere  except  on  his 
employer's  table,  he  had  no  idea  that  a  large  quantity  could 
be  sold,  and  hence  was  greatly  surprised  at  finding  how 
quickly  it  went  off  in  the  market.  He  immediately  inquired 
of  the  old  man  how  much  he  gave  for  the  roots,  of  which 
he  had  a  bushel  or  two  in  baskets  near  him.  He  replied, 
two  dollars  a  hundred  for  the  smaller  ones,  and  three  or 
four  for  the  largest ;  adding,  that  he  would  buy  as  many 
as  he  could  bring  him. 

The  boy  was   so  elated  at   this  unexpected  discovery  of 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  •  10$ 

something  that  was  exactly  in  his  own  hne,  that  he  asked 
no  more  questions.  But  that  evening  he  looked  over  all 
the  old  numbers  of  the  agricultural  papers  in  the  house, 
to  see  if  they  contained  any  information  about  the  cultiva- 
tion of  horseradish,  what  was  the  best  soil,  whether  there 
was  a  superior  variety,  or  any  other  instructions  to  guide 
him  in  undertaking  what  he  shrewdly  thought  he  could 
make  a  profitable  operation.  He  found  a  dozen  articles 
on  the  subject,  which  contained  the  experience  of  practical 
growers,  with  minute  directions  how  to  plant  and  cultivate, 
as  well  as  how  to  harvest,  a  large  crop,  and  where  to  find 
a  market  for  it.  He  had  seen  these  articles  before ;  but 
as  his  mind  was  not  interested  in  the  subject  at  the  time, 
he  gave  them  only  a  passing  notice.  But  now  that  his 
attention  had  been  directed  to  it,  he  discovered  in  them 
an  almost  priceless  value.  They  were  exactly  what  he 
wanted,  and  he  read  them  over  and  over.  He  made  up 
his  mind  that,  if  he  had  inquired  of  every  farmer  in  the 
township  how  to  cultivate  so  simple  a  thing  as  horseradish 
on  a  large  scale,  not  one  could  have  told  him  half  as  much 
as  did  these  old  numbers  of  the  agricultural  papers  he  had 
been  preserving. 

Here  Uncle  Benny  took  occasion  to  remind  the  boys  that 
it  was  impossible  for  a  man  to  be  a  really  good,  progressive 
farmer,  without  not  only  having  a  full  supply  of  the  best 
agricultural   papers,  but   diligently  studying   their   contents, 


I06  FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 

as  well  as  preserving  the  numbers  for  future  reference.  He 
said  they  were  full  of  sound  advice  and  instruction,  and 
kept  their  readers  informed  of  all  the  new  seeds,  plants, 
machines,  and  breeds  of  animals,  as  they  were  either  dis- 
covered or  introduced.  It  was  only  by  having  his  eyes  and 
ears  open  to  these  things,  that  a  farmer  could  get  along 
successfully,  and  keep  up  with  the  best. 

He  went  on  to  tell  them  that  Robert,  discovering  that 
a  deep,  rich  soil  was  the  best  for  horseradish,  immediately 
made  up  his  mind  that  the  very  place  for  him  to  plant  it 
would  be  by  the  side  of  a  long  ditch  in  the  meadow,  which 
had  been  cleaned  out  that  very  fall.  As  the  ditch-bank 
could  not  be  used  for  any  crop,  —  at  least  his  employer 
was  not  the  man  to  put  it  to  any  useful  purpose,  —  Robert 
easily  obtained  his  permission  to  plant  it  with  horseradish. 
He  would  have  refused  anything  that  he  could  use  himself 
As  may  be  supposed,  Robert  thought  of  this  matter  the 
whole  winter,  and  was  impatient  for  spring  to  come  round, 
that  he  might  make  a  beginning.  At  Christmas  he  went 
to  Trenton  and  engaged  from  the  old  man  in  the  market 
as  many  of  the  lower  ends  of  the  horseradish  roots  as  he 
would  need.  On  measuring  the  ditch-bank,  by  pacing  it 
off,  he  found  he  could  get  in  three  rows  containing  alto- 
gether- two  thousand  roots,  and  so  contracted  for  that  num- 
ber at  five  dollars  per  thousand.  The  old  man  had  been 
in  the  habit  of  throwing  away  these  *^'  tails,"  as  there  was 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  ID/ 

no  steady  demand  for  them,  and  was  glad  enough  to  find 
a  customer. 

When  April  came,  Robert  put  the  ditch-bank  in  order 
with  his  own  hands,  doing  most  of  the  work  by  moonlight, 
and  then  actually  planting  the  roots  by  moonhght  also,  as 
his  employer  would  not  spare  him  even  a  half-day  for  him- 
self The  roots  were  about  five  inches  long  and  were 
planted  in  rows.  Holes  about  eight  inches  deep  were 
made  in  the  ground  with  a  sharp  stick,  into  which  the 
roots  were  dropped,  thus  leaving  them  a  few  inches  below 
the  surface.  It  was  a  long  and  tedious  job  for  a  boy  like 
him  to  undertake  and  go  through  with,  but  he  was  full 
of  ambition  to  do  something  for  himself,  and  this  was  about 
the  only  chance  he  saw.  Then  during  the  whole  growing 
season  he  kept  the  ground  clear  of  weeds,  and  frequently 
stirred  it  up  on  the  surface,  all  which  greatly  promoted  the 
growth  of  the  plants.  They  threw  up  such  luxuriant  tops, 
that  by  midsummer  they  shaded  most  of  the  ground  and 
smothered  a  large  portion  of  the  weeds.  All  this  attention 
to  his  horseradish  bed  was  bestowed  at  odd  times. 

But  he  was  well  rewarded  for  his  labor,  as  at  the  close  of 
the  season  he  had  a  fine  crop  of  roots.  They  were  so  large, 
and  there  were  so  many  of  them,  that  he  was  obliged  to  hire 
a  man  to  dig  them  up  and  wheel  them  to  the  house.  His 
employer  had  paid  no  more  attention  to  the  crop  during  the 
summer  than  he  had  to  Robert's  bees ;  but  when  he  came  to 


I08  FARMING   FOR  BOYS. 

see  the  splendid  result  of  his  labor,  he  was  astonished  at  his 
success,  and  told  Alice  to  help  him  wash  and  trim  them  up 
for  market.  This  she  was  willing  enough  to  do,  as  Robert's 
tastes  and  hers  were  so  similar  that  they  had  long  been  close 
friends,  ever  ready  to  oblige  each  other.  By  devoting  one 
or  two  evenings  to  the  task,  the  roots  were  made  ready  for 
the  Trenton  market.  There  Robert  was  allowed  to  take 
them,  and  there,  sure  enough,  he  found  the  old  man  at  work 
in  the  market-house  with  his  machine,  still  grinding  out 
horseradish  for  a  large  circle  of  customers.  He  sold  his 
crop  for  sixty  dollars,  and  was  so  delighted  with  his  success 
that  he  treated  himself  to  a  new  coat. 

He  also  bought  for  Alice,  in  return  for  the  help  she  had 
given  him,  a  neat  little  dressing-box,  containing  trifles  which 
he  thought  would  please  her,  for  there  was  not  a  particle  of 
meanness  in  Robert's  disposition.  While  he  was  ambitious, 
and  industrious,  and  saving,  he  was  far  from  being  stingy. 
Besides,  he  had  already  learned  that  pleasure  was  reciprocal, 
and  that  no  one  feels  it  who  does  not  at  the  same  time  com- 
municate it ;  for  to  be  really  pleased,  one  must  be  pleasing  to 
others..  As  he  saw  that  Alice  was  gratified  by  his  thus  think- 
ing of  her,  he  was  abundantly  gratified  himself 

This  purchase  of  a  new  coat  was  a  clear  saving  to  Mr. 
Screwme.  He  was  pleased  in  turn,  thinking  how  much  he 
had  saved,  and  readily  gave  Robert  permission  to  use  the 
ditch-bank  as   long  as    he  desired,  as   his  horseradish   farm. 


FARMING  FOR   BOYS.  lOQ 

Thus  the  industrious  fellow  was  encouraged  to  look  ahead, 
and  a  bit  of  waste  land  was  in  a  fair  way  of  being  turned 
into  a  productive  one,  by  the  shrewdness  and  energy  of  a 
mere  boy.  Taking  all  the  land  on  the  farm,  there  was  not  an 
acre  that  produced  more  clear  profit  than  this,  though  the 
rest  had  had  twice  as  much  labor  in  proportion  bestowed  up- 
on it. 

Still,  the  owner  did  not  take  the  hint  thus  given  to  him, 
and  try  what  could  be  done  on  a  larger  scale.  The  reason 
was,  that  raising  horseradish  was  not  regular  farming,  —  it 
was  something  out  of  the  usual  line,  —  well  enough  for  a  boy 
to  amuse  himself  with,  but  not  the  kind  of  farming  he  had 
been  brought  up  to.  Another  reason  was,  the  neighbors 
would  ridicule  him.  In  truth  he  was  not  a  wise  man,  for 
wisdom  is  not  the  mere  seeing  of  things  that  are  actually 
before  us,  but  consists  in  discerning  and  comprehending  those 
which  are  likely  to  come  to  pass.  He  would  have  thought  it 
all  right  for  him  to  plant  an  acre  of  cabbages,  because  it  was 
done  by  others ;  but  an  acre  of  what  he  considered  a  new 
farm  product,  such  as  horseradish,  was  too  great  a  novelty, 
though  he  saw  that  the  crop  paid  well.  Nor  was  he  sufficient- 
ly wise  to  see  that  the  time  was  coming  when  a  plant  so 
easily  cultivated  would  be  grown  upon  fields  as  large  as  any 
of  his. 

Thus  Robert  was  left  in  undisturbed  possession.  He 
started  the  second  year  under  better  auspices,  as,  in  trimming 


no  FARMING   FOR  BOYS. 

his  roots  for  market,  he  had  cut  off  and  saved  the  lower  ends 
for  another  planting.  This  would  save  him  ten  dollars,  be- 
sides affording  him  not  only  better  "  sets  "  than  he  had  begun 
with,  but  twice  as  many.  He  thought  that  he  would  double 
his  crop  by  planting  both  sides  of  the  ditch.  On  asking  per- 
mission of  his  employer,  he  readily  gave  it,  adding  that,  if 
he  chose,  he  might  plant  the  bottom  of  the  ditch  also. 

The  boy's  ambition  seemed  to  have  won  some  little  sympa- 
thy from  his  master  ;  for,  when  planting-time'  came  the  next 
sprinjg,  he  actually  assisted  Robert  by  ploughing  up  the 
ground  and  putting  it  in  order  for  him.  Then,  as  Robert 
made  the  holes  in  the  ground,  he  called  on  Alice  to  drop  the 
roots  into  them,  as  she  was  quite  willing  to  do.  With  this 
help  he  got  on  finely  with  his  double  crop.  But  he  was 
obliged  to  hire  a  man  occasionally  during  the  summer  to 
keep  the  ground  in  order,  as  he  knew  it  was  never  worth 
while  to  set  a  plant  in  the  ground  and  then  neglect  it.  But 
he  had  the  money  with  which  to  pay  for  such  labor.  Still,  it 
cost  very  little,  as  to  his  ditch-banks  was  devoted  all  the  spare 
time  he  had.  His  bees  gave  him  no  such  trouble,  as  they 
took  care  of  themselves.  The  better  preparation  of  the 
ground  caused  a  quicker  and  larger  growth  of  the  plants, 
and  of  course  there  was  a  better  yield  than  that  of  the  first 
season.  He  sold  the  second  crop  for  more  than  a  hundred 
dollars,  and  could  have  disposed  of  three  times  the  quantity. 
That  season  his  honey  sold  for  over  twenty  dollars. 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  Ill 

Most  of  this  money  he  saved,  spending  very  little  except 
for  books  and  papers,  all  which  he  studied  so  assiduously,  that, 
by  the  time  he  came  of  age,  he  was  one  of  the  best-informed 
youiig  men  in  the  neighborhood,  with  a  respectable  library 
about  him.  He  was  a  fine,  handsome-looking  fellow,  of  pleas- 
ant manners,  steady  habits,  and,  besides  all  this,  had  more 
than  four  hundred  dollars,  all  made  from  the  profits  of  his 
bees  and  horseradish. 

"  You  see,  boys,"  said  Uncle  Benny,  "  how  much  can  be 
accomplished,  from  the  very  smallest  beginnings,  by  a  boy 
who  has  ambition,  good  sense,  and  industry.  But  all  these 
acquisitions,  especially  the  mental  ones,  come  from  applica- 
tion. It  is  the  price  that  every  man  must  pay  for  them,  and 
they  cannot  be  had  without  it.  To  expect  good  results  of 
any  kind  without  application,  would  be  as  absurd  as  for  you 
to  hope  for  a  crop  of  corn  without  having  planted  a 
hill." 

The  old  man  went  on  with  his  story.  He  told  them  that, 
when  Robert  came  of  age,  he  was  able  to  manage  the  farm 
far  better  than  his  employer  had  ever  done.  He  continued  to 
do  the  principal  work  until  he  was  twenty-three  years  old, 
at  which  time  his  employer  died,  and  a  year  after  that  he  and 
Alice  were  married. 

"Now,"  continued  the  old  man,  "the  farm  we  are  going  to 
see  is  the  same  one  on  which  Robert  Allen  began  life  as  a 
poor  boy.     All  this  happened  years  before  you  were  born,  so 


112  FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 

that  you  will  see  great  changes  from  the  condition  of  the 
farm  as  it  was  in  the  time  of  Robert's  boyhood." 

The  boys  listened  to  this  history  with  profound  attention. 
It  ran  so  nearly  parallel  to  the  current  of  their  own  thoughts 
that  they  could  not  fail  to  be  struck  with  it.  They  had  seen 
Mr.  Allen  very  often,  and  two  of  his  sons  had  been  their 
companions  at  school ;  but  they  had  never  before  had  the 
least  inkling  that  so  wealthy  a  farmer  had  sprung  from  so 
small  a  beginning.  The  farm,  therefore,  as  they  approached 
it,  acquired  a  new  interest  in  their  eyes,  and  they  surveyed 
with  increased  attention  whatever  belonged  to  it. 

A  few  steps  farther  brought  them  to  the  gate,  which  opened 
into  a  lawn  of  moderate  size,  in  which  were  pear  and  apple 
trees  many  years  old,  now  gorgeous  in  a  profusion  of  bloom. 
These  living  monuments  of  the  thoughtfulness  of  a  former 
generation  had  been  carefully  trimmed  of  all  the  dead  wood, 
and  their  trunks  had  been  whitewashed.  Indeed,  the  fences, 
the  out-houses,  and  every  spot  or  thing  to  which  whitewash 
was  appropriate,  shone  out  gayly  and  cheerfully  in  a  coat  of 
brilliant  white.  A  dozen  large  stones,  that  lay  about  in  the 
edge  of  a  luxuriant  border  near  the  house,  had  been  brushed 
in  the  same  way,  presenting  a  beautiful  contrast  with  the 
rich  green  of  the  early  springing  grass.  Even  the  projecting 
stump  of  an  old  apple-tree,  that  had  once  stood  in  the  lawn, 
held  up  its  slowly  decaying  head  in  all  the  glory  of  a  similar 
co\  ering. 


FARMING    FOR   BOYS.  Il3 

The  stone  dwelling-house,  evidently  very  old,  but  very 
comfortable,  had  shared  in  the  same  beautifying  application. 
Its  ancient  doors,  and  sashes,  and  shutters  had  been  replaced 
by  new  ones  of  modern  finish.  For  the  old  roof  there  had 
been  substituted  a  new  one,  with  projecting  eaves  and  orna- 
mental brackets.  An  ample  piazza  at  the  front,  built  in  cot- 
tage style,  was  clustered  over  with  honeysuckles,  from  whose 
opening  flowers  a  thousand  bees  were-  gathering  honey. 
Some  architect,  skilled  in  the  beautiful  art  of  transforming 
an  old  farm-house  into  an  elegant  modern  cottage,  had  evi- 
dently touched  this  venerable  homestead  with  his  renovating 
hand,  engrafting  on  its  uncouth  outlines  not  only  symmetry, 
but  even  elegance.  The  whole  aspect  of  the  premises  struck 
the  visitors  with  admiration  of  their  trimness  and  cleanliness, 
while  a  more  practised  eye  would  at  once  set  down  the  owner 
as  belonging  to  the  higher  order  of  farmers. 

As  they  turned  a  corner  of  the  house  on  their  way  to  the 
rear,  they  were  met  by  Mr.  Allen  and  his  two  sons,  the  school- 
mates of  the  Spanglers.  Greetings  being  cordially  exchanged, 
the  visitors  were  politely  invited  into  the  house ;  but  Uncle 
•Benny  replied  that  he  had  brought  his  boys  with  him  to  see 
what  there  was  out  of  doors,  and  that  he  would  like  them  to 
learn  for  themselves  how  a  good  farmer  managed  his  business. 

"Ah,"  replied  Mr.  Allen,  "it. requires  a  man  superior  in 
one  way  or  another,  to  be  a  really  good  farmer." 

"But,"  rejoined  Uncle  Benny,  "men  are  estimated  by  their 


114  FARMING  FOR   BOYS. 

success  in  life,  and,  by  common  consent,  success  is  held  to  be 
evidence  of  superiority.  You  are  known  as  the  luckiest  man 
in  the  township." 

"  But  I  don't  believe  in  luck.  Uncle  Benny,"  replied 
Mr.  Allen.  "  It  was  not  luck  that  made  me  what  I  am, 
but  God's  blessing  on  my  labors,  from  the  time  I  was 
a  poor  boy  up  to  the  present  hour." 

They  walked  forward  to  the  barn-yard.  The  fences 
round  it,  and  all  the  adjacent  buildings,  had  been  newly 
whitewashed.  There  were  gutters  which  carried  away 
from  every  roof  the  rains  that  fell  upon  it,  and'  led 
them  into  a  low  spot  a  long  distance  off,  to  which  the 
pigs  had  access  as  a  wallow.  The  barn-yard  was  shaped 
like  an  earthen  pie-dish,  lowest  at  the  centre,  so  that  no 
liquid  manure  could  run  away.  The  bottom  had  been 
scooped  out  and  furnished  with  a  coat  of  clay  nearly 
six  inches  thick,  so  that  no  liquor  could  soak  away  into 
the  ground.  There  was  but  a  single  outlet  for  the  fluid, 
and  that  led  into  a  capacious  cistern,  connected  with  a 
pump,  by  which  the  contents  were  raised  into  buckets 
and  used  on  the  garden  close  at  hand.  This  had  beea 
in  operation  only  a  year  or  two  ;  but  Mr.  Allen  described 
the  result  on  his  garden  products  as  almost  incredible, 
and  he  should  use  the  pump  and  cistern  more  frequently 
than  ever.  "  This  liquor,"  he  said,  "  is  what  a  plant  lives 
and  grows  fat  on,  just  as  a  pig  grows  on  what  you  give 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  II5 

to  him.  If  I  were  able  to  manure  my  whole  farm  with 
these  juices  of  the  barn-yard,  I  would  saturate  the  ma- 
nure-heap until  the  water  came  away  colorless,  and  spread 
it  over  the  ground." 

As  the  Spangler  boys  heard  this,  they  looked  up  to 
Uncle  Benny  in  a  very  knowing  way,  evidently,  recog- 
nizing the  words  of  this  excellent  farmer  as  conveying 
the  identical  lesson  the  old  man  had  taught  them  at 
their   own   squalid   barn-yard. 

There  were  a  dozen  head  of  cattle  in  the  yard,  fine, 
portly  cows,  of  quiet  mien  and  buttery  promise.  They 
had  all  been  born  within  its  enclosure,  and  had  never 
been  allowed  to  go  beyond  its  limits.  During  the  grow- 
ing season  all  their  food  was  cut  fresh  from  the  fields, 
and  brought  to  them  regularly  three  times  a  day.  This 
arrangement  cost  additional  care  and  money,  but  it  saved 
some  hundreds  of  dollars'  worth  of  fences,  while  it  trebled 
the  products  of  the  barn-yard.  It  saved  acres  of  clover 
from  being  trampled  down  and  wasted,  thus  enabling 
the  land  to  feed  double  the  number  of  cows.  The  abun- 
dant yield  of  butter  found  a  quick  market  at  Trenton. 

From  this  spot  they  were  taken  to  the  pig-pen,  and 
there  they  saw  the  Suffolk  and  Chester  County  breeds, 
all  in  clean  quarters,  with  warm  shelters  covered  from 
the  rain,  the  outer  part  of  the  enclosure  strewed  with 
an    ample    supply    of   cornstalks    and    other    litter,   which 


ii6 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 


they  were  rapidly  grinding  up  into  the  most  valuable 
kind  of  fertilizer.  Bill  Spangler,  having  a  particular 
home-feeling  for  the  pig-pen,  examined  the  animals  in 
this  enclosure  with  the  greatest  care.  The  others  were 
equally  interested.  Though  they  noticed  how  complete 
the  pen  was,  and  how  superior  were  all  its  arrangements 
to  their  own,  yet,  after  a  long  and  close  survey,  Bill  could 
not  help  exclaiming  to  the  Allen  boys,  "  There 's  no  sow 
here   equal   to   our   Nancy ! " 


FARMING  FOR  BOYS.  II7 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

Never  kiil  the  Birds. —  Pets  of  all  Kinds.  —  What  Underdraining 
MEANS.  —  More  Horseradish.  —  Encouraging  the  Boys. 

I  ^ROM  this  point  of  observation  they  moved  off  to  the 
-■-  garden,  where  they  found  everything  in  such  nice 
order  that  it  amazed  and  deHghted  Uncle  Benny,  who  did 
not  fail  to  point  out  to  his  pupils  all  the  strong  features 
of  its  management,  comparing  them  with  the  miserably 
neglected  condition  of  their  own  garden.  Every  fruit-tree 
had  an  old  crook-necked  squash  hung  upon  it,  far  out  of 
harm's  way,  pierced  with  a  hole  for  a  bird's  nest.  Mr. 
Allen  evidently  had  a  pride  in  this  abundant  supply  of 
accommodation  for  the  birds,  for,  addressing  himself  to  the 
Spanglers,  he  called  their  especial  attention  to  the  subject. 
"  Do  you  see,  boys,"  said  he,  "  how  the  birds  are  building 
in  all  these  squashes  ?  They  are  my  journeymen  insect- 
eaters.  Do  you  know  that  these  birds  destroy  millions  of 
worms  and  bugs  and  millers,  which  prey  on  the  fruits  and 
flowers  of  the  farm  and  garden  ?  I  could  not  do  without 
them,  as,  if  I  had  no  birds,  I  should  have  no  fruit.  I  have 
tried  it  for  myself,  and  it  has  been  tried  more  extensively 
in  European  countries,  where  they  attend  to  small  matters 
of  this  kind  much  more  attentively  than  we  do  here.     Why, 


Il8  FARMING   FOR  BOYS. 

Tony,  you  know  what  the  wire-worm  is.  Well,  in  a  single 
department  in  France  that  worm  has  been  known  to  destroy 
three  successive  harvests,  each  worth  nearly  a  million  of 
dollars.  In  portions  of  Germany,  other  insects  have  de- 
stroyed immense  forests  of  large  trees.  One  of  the  kings 
of  Prussia  once  ordered  all  the  sparrows  killed  because  they 
ate  his  cherries ;  but  two  years  afterwards  he  found  his 
cherries  and  other  fruits  devoured  by  caterpillars.  It  was 
the  same  thing  in  Hungary,  when  the  sparrows  were  gen- 
erally destroyed ;  the  insects,  having  no  enemies,  multiplied 
so  fast  that  they  consumed  so  much  of  the  crops  that  laws 
were  made  forbidding  the  destruction  of  the  birds.  We 
shall  have  the  same  ruin  here  if  we  allow  our  small  birds 
to  be  killed  as  everybody  is  now  killing  them.  If  we  are 
to  do  without  birds,  we  must  make  up  our  minds  to  go 
without  fruit.  This  is  the  reason  why  every  tree  in  my 
garden  has  its  bird's  nest.  My  boys  never  shoot  a  bird, 
not  even  an  owl,  for  an  owl  is  one  of  the  farmer's  best 
friends,  —  better  than  a  dozen  cats  about  the  barn.  He 
is  the  sharpest  mouse-trap  that  can  be  set,  because  he  goes 
about  after  the  mice,  while  the  trap  holds  still  until  the 
mouse  thinks  proper  to  walk  in.  Even  the  common  buzzard, 
that  every  fool  shoots  when  he  can,  will  eat  up  six  thousand 
field  mice  annually,  —  and  how  much  grain  would  that 
number  consume,  or  how  many  apple-trees  would  they  nib- 
ble to  death  ?     No,  no,  boys,  never  kill  the  birds.      Don't 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  II9 

even  drive  them  away,  but  coax  them  about  you  in  flocks. 
It  costs  more  to  do  without  them  than  to  have  them." 

Most  of  this  was  news  to  the  boys,  as  no  one  had  taken 
pains  to  impress  them  with  the  value  of  birds  to  a  farmer, 
except  Uncle  Benny,  who  had  occasionally  referred  to  the 
subject.  But  what  they  saw  here  was  a  practical  lesson 
that  had  its  effect,  for  when  they  went  home,  not  having 
any  squashes  at  hand,  they  hunted  up  a  dozen  deplorably 
old  boots  that  had  been  kicking  about  Spangler  s  premises, 
and  nailed  them  to  the  trees,  thus  bringing  a  new  set  of 
shabby  things  directly  within  everybody's  view.  However, 
it  was  the  best  they  could  do  with  the  meagre  means  they 
possessed,  and  it  showed  a  disposition  to  imitate  good 
exarnples.  It  was  found,  however,  that  the  birds  were  not 
well  pleased  with  the  smell  of  old  leather.  Though  they 
repeatedly  went  in  and  out  of  the  boots,  evidently  anxious 
for  places  in  which  to  build  their  nests,  yet  only  two  or 
three  took  possession.  Uncle  Benny  was  not  sorry,  as  the 
great  ragged  boots,  hung  where  he  could  not  fail  to  see 
them,  were  a  constant  eyesore  to  him ;  and  as  soon  as  it 
was  evident  the  birds  refused  to  build  in  them,  he  had  them 
all  taken  down. 

On  coming  out  of  the  garden,  Mr.  Allen  led  them  into 
the  open  yard  in  front  of  his  carriage-house  and  corn- 
cribs.  There  was  a  great  flock  of  pigeons  picking  up 
the    remains    of    the    noonday    feeding    which     had     been 


120  FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 

thrown  to  them.  The  Spanglers  were  delighted,  and 
examined  the  pigeons  attentively,  but  could  not  discover 
that  they  were  any  better  than  their  own.  The  proprie- 
torship of  pigs  and  pigeons  had  already  produced  the 
good  effect  of  making  them  observant  and  critical,  thus 
teaching  them  to  compare  one  thing  with  another. 

"  Now,"  said  Mr.  Allen  to  Uncle  Benny,  "  these  all  be- 
long to  my  boys.  They  began  with  only  two  pairs  of 
birds,  and  you  see  to  what  they  have  grown." 

"  How  many  of  them  do  you  sell  every  year .? "  in- 
quired Tony  of  the  Aliens,  in  a  tone  too  low  for  the 
others   to   hear. 

"  Thirty  dollars'  worth  of  squabs,"  he  answered,  "  and 
some  seasons  a  good  many  pairs  of  old  birds,  —  besides 
what  we  eat  up  ourselves." 

"  But  who  finds  the  corn } "  inquired  Tony,  bearing 
in  mind  the  bargain  which  Spangler  had  imposed  upon 
them  when  consenting  to  his  boys  procuring  pigeons. 

"O,"  said  he,  "father  finds  it,  but  I'll  show  directly 
how  we  pay  for  it." 

In  addition  to  the  pigeons  there  was  a  large  collection 
of  fine  poultry,  with  a  dozen  broods  of  different  ages, 
some  just  hatched  out,  the  little  fellows  running  round 
the  coops  in  which  the  mothers  were  confined.  There 
was  also  a  flock  of  turkeys  moving  slowly  about,  with 
all   the  gravity  peculiar  to  that   bird.     Uncle  Benny  made 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  121 

up  his  mind  he  had  never  seen  a  more  inviting  dinner- 
party than  these  would  very  soon  make. 

From  the  poultry-yard  they  wandered  all  over  the  farm. 
Everything  was  kept  in  the  nicest  order.  No  unsightly 
hedgerow  of  weeds  and  briers  fringed  fences,  nor  was 
a  broken  post  or  rail  to  be  seen.  The  fencing  had  been 
made  in  the  best  manner  in  the  first  place,  and  would 
therefore  last  a  lifetime.  The  winter  grain  stood  up  thick 
and  rank,  showing  that  the  ground  was  in  good  heart. 
The  corn  had  been  planted,  and  in  fact  all  the  urgent 
spring  work  had  been  done,  Mr.  Allen  having  so  man- 
aged it  as  to  be  ahead  with  whatever  he  had  undertaken. 
Great"  piles  of  manure,  with  marl  intermixed,  were  scat- 
tered about  several  fields,  ready  to  be  used  on  crops  that 
would  be  put  in  at  a  later  day.  The  springing  grass  on 
the  mowing  ground  showed  that  it  had  been  top-dressed 
with  manure  the  preceding  fall,  and  that  the  grass  roots 
had  been  all  winter  drinking  up  the  rich  juices  which 
the  rain  and  melting  snow  had  extracted  and  carried 
down  directly  into  their  ever  open  mouths.  Everything 
about  the  farm  showed  marks  of  its  being  in  the  hands 
of  a  thorough  man,  who,  in  addition  to  understanding 
his  business,  had  an  eye  to  neatness,  taste,  and  economy. 

Uncle  Benny  was  impressed  with  the  completeness  of 
all  that  he  saw.  He  called  the  attention  of  his  pupils  to 
the    remarkable    difference    between    the    practice    of    Mr. 


122 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS 


Allen  and  Mr.  Spangler,  stopping  repeatedly  to  explain, 
and  enter  into  minute  particulars.  The  results  were  so 
manifestly  superior  to  any  they  had  witnessed  at  home, 
that  they  did  not  fail  to  appreciate  them.  The  old  man's 
effort  was  to  make  them  understand  why  it  was  that 
results  should  differ  so  widely.  He  told  them  the  soil 
of  the  two  farms  was  exactly  similar,  one  farm,  naturally, 
being  as  good  as  the  other.  The  difference  was  alto- 
gether in  the  mode  of  management.  Mr.  Allen  manu- 
factured all  the  manure  he  could,  and  bought  quantities 
of  fertilizers.  He  sold  some  hay,  because  he  produced 
more  than  he  could  use,  but  his  straw  was  all  worked 
up  on  the  farm.  He  was  quite  as  likely  to  set  fire  to  his 
dwelling-house  as  to  burn  a  pile  of  corn-stalks.  On  the 
other  hand,  Mr.  Spangler  took  no  pains  to  accumulate 
manure,  neither  did  he  purchase  any ;  but  even  what 
he  did  collect  was  spoilt  by  the  deluge  of  rains  that 
carried  off  all  its  stimulating  juices  into  the  highway. 
As  to  selling  hay,  he  had  scarcely  enough  for  his  own 
use,  while  more  than  once  he  burnt  up  a  whole  crop  of 
corn-stalks.  Thus,  while  one  farm  was  growing  richer 
every    year,  the  other  was    growing   poorer. 

Presently  they  came  to  a  beautiful  meadow  of  at  least 
ten  acres,  through  the  centre  of  which  ran  a  wide  ditch, 
with  a  lively  stream  of  water  in  the  bottom.  As  they  came 
up  to  the  bank  the  Spanglers  observed  an  earthen  pipe  pro- 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 


123 


jecting  from  the  opposite  bank,  and  spouting  forth  a  strong 
jet  of  water.  Proceeding  farther  they  noticed  another,  and 
then  another  still.  In  fact  they  saw  them  sticking  out  all 
along  the  course  of  the  ditch,  about  thirty  feet  apart.     Every 


one  of  them  was  discharging  more  or  less  water.  As  they 
had  never  seen  such  things  before,  Tony  inquired  what  they 
were. 

"These  are  underdrains,"  replied  Uncle  Benny.  "You 
know  I  showed  the  other  day  what  surface-drains  were, — 
now  you  see  what  underdraining  is.  Those  pipes  are  called 
tiles." 


124  FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 

"  But  where  does  all  the  water  come  from  that  we  see 
pouring  out  of  them  ? "  inquired  Joe. 

"Come  from?  Why,  it  comes  from  everywhere,  —  above, 
below,  and  around  the  drains,"  replied  Uncle  Benny. 
"  When  a  rain  falls,  it  soaks  its  way  down  through  the 
earth,  that  is,  all  that  the  earth  don't  require,  and  finds 
its  way  into  the  underdrains,  and  then  runs  off  as  you  see. 
Then  the  water  which  rises  from  the  springs  under  this 
meadow  finds  its  way  also  into  the  drains,  and  is  carried 
off  like  the  surplus  rain-water.  If  it  were  not  for  these 
drains  the  land  would  be  so  water-logged  that  nothing  but 
wild  grasses  and  aquatic  plants  would  grow  on  it ;  but 
now  you  see  it  is  yielding  the  very  finest  kind-  of  grass. 
If  your  father's  meadow,  now  filled  with  ferns  and  skunk- 
root,  were  drained  as  this  is,  it  would  be  quite  as  produc- 
tive." 

"  Quite  as  good,"  added  Mr.  Allen.  "  This  meadow  was 
as  foul  and  worthless  as  Mr.  Spangler's  when  I  began  to 
underdrain.  I  never  spent  any  money  that  paid  me  half 
as  well  as  the  money  I  have  laid  out  in  underdraining.  It 
cost  me  about  three  hundred  dollars  to  do  this  work,  but 
the  land  is  a  thousand  dollars  the  better  for  it,  —  in  fact,  it 
was  good  for  nothing  as  it  lay  a  few  years  ago.  All  the  water 
you  see  pouring  out  of  these  drains  was  formerly  retained 
in  the  ground.  It  is  just  so  much  more  than  the  land 
required.     Now  it  has  exactly  enough,  and  it  is  the  difference 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  1 25 

between  enough  and  too  much  that  converts  a  meadow  mto 
bog,  or-  a  bog  into  a  meadow. 

"  When  I  was  a  boy,"  he  continued,  "  it  was  on  the  margin 
of  this  long  ditch  that  I  made  the  first  attempt  at  farming 
for  myself.  It  was  a  rough  place  then,  Uncle  Benny,  and 
I  had  a  hard  row  to  hoe.  My  crop  of  horseradish  from 
this  ground  was  the  beginning  of  my  success  in  life.  I 
made  only  a  little  money,  it  is  true,  but  it  was  a  great  deal 
for  a  boy.  I  can  see  now  that  its  value  was  not  in  the 
number  of  dollars  I  made,  but  in  the  stimulus  it  gave  to 
my  energies.  It  braced  me  up,  it  gave  me  confidence  in 
my  own  powers,  it  taught  me  not  only  that  I  was  able  to 
do  something  for  myself,  but  exactly  how  to  do  it.  Still, 
it  was  very  satisfactory  to  know  that  I  was  making  money, 
young  as  I  was.  But  I  have  never  sought  to  make  money 
merely  for  the  love  of  it,  but  only  that  it  might  be  used 
wisely  and  generously,  —  the  only  way  in  which  it  can  be 
profitably  expended. 

"  Now,  my  lads,"  he  continued,  addressing  himself  to 
the  boys,  "  I  have  heard  of  a  youth  who  once  picked  up 
a  guinea  lying  in  the  road.  Ever  afterwards,  so  the  story 
goes,  as  he  walked  along  he  kept  his  eyes  steadfastly  fixed 
on  the  ground,  in  hopes  of  finding  another,  and  in  the 
course  of  a  long  life  he  did  pick  up  at  times  a  good 
amount  of  gold  and  silver.  But  all  these  days,  as  he 
was  looking  for  gold,  he  saw  not   that  heaven  was  bright 


126 


FARMING   FOR    BOYS. 


above  him,  and  nature  beautiful  around.  He  never  once 
allowed  his  eyes  to  look  up  from  the  mud  and  -filth  in 
which  he  sought  the  treasure,  and  when  he  died,  a  rich 
old  man,  he  only  knew  this  fair  earth  of  ours  as  a  dirty 
road  in  which  to  pick  up  money  as  you  walk  along. 
Boys,  you  were  not  made  for  a  pursuit  so  degrading  as 
this.      Remember  it  when  your  turn  comes." 

"  But,"  added  Uncle  Benny,  "  if  you  found  the  culti- 
vation of  horseradish  so  profitable,  why  did  you  abandon 
it?" 

"  Bless  you.  Uncle  Benny,"  he  replied,  "  I  have  never 
quitted  it  from  the  day  I  set  the  first  root  into  the  ground 
up  to  the  present  hour.  On  the  contrary,  I  have  enlarged 
my  operations  in  that  line  perhaps  a  hundred-fold.  Come 
this  way  and  see  what  we  are  doing." 

He  then  led  them  to  the  upper  end  of  the  meadow, 
where  the  ground  was  higher  and  drier,  though  it  had 
also  been  underdrained.  Here  were  three  acres  set  with 
horseradish.  The  harrow  had  just  been  run  over  the 
field  between  the  rows,  and  the  green  tops  were  peep- 
ing here  and  there  above  the  surface.  Uncle  Benny 
had  travelled  all  the  world  over,  and,  as  he  was  some- 
times disposed  to  think,  had  seen  everything  there  was 
in  it.  But  he  admitted  that  here  was  a  thing  new  even 
to  him  ;  he  had  never  stumbled  on  a  three-acre  field  of 
horseradish  until  now.     It  was  as  great  a   novelty   to   the 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  12/ 

boys,  who  knew  nothing  more  of  the  cultivation  of  the 
plant  than  seeing  a  few  roots  growing  on  the  edge  of 
a  dirty  gutter  at  home,  while  they  were  utterly  ignorant 
of  its  marketable  capabilities.  They  could  tell  everything 
about  corn,  but  not  an  item  about  horseradish.  Uncle 
Benny  knew  there  must  be  some  kind  of  a  demand  for 
it,  but  how  extensive  that  might  be  he  had  never  had 
occasion  to  learn.  Hence  he  and  his  pupils  stood  in 
silent  surprise  at  this  unexpected  exhibition. 

"  But  what  is  to  become  of  the  vast  quantity  of  roots 
you  are  producing  here  } "  inquired  Uncle  Benny.  "  Does 
the  world  want  as  much  horseradish  as  this }  Who  is 
to  buy  it,  and  who  is  to  eat  it  ? " 

"  Not  a  bit  of  fear  as  to  a  market,"  replied  Mr.  Allen 
smiling  at  the  old  man's  surprise  and  incredulity.  "New 
York  never  has  enough,  never  had,  and  never  will  have. 
One  dealer  in  that  city  takes  my  whole  crop,  and  is  annually 
calling  for  more.  I  am  determined  next  year  to  double 
the  quantity  of  ground  already  planted." 

"You  surprise  me,"  said  the  old  man.  "Then  the 
crop  must  pay.  How  many  roots  can  you  grow  upon 
an  acre } " 

"Why,  you  see  these  rows  are  three  feet  apart,  and 
the  plants  are  set  one  foot  asunder  in  the  rows,  thus 
giving  me  nearly  fifteen  thousand  per  acre.  At  that  dis- 
tance, on  suitable  soil,  the  average  weight  per  root  would 


128  FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 

be  one  pound.  The  rows  are  just  wide  enough  apart 
to  get  safely  through  with  a  small  cultivator,  so  as  to 
keep  down  the  weeds,  —  for  when  I  set  out  to  raise  any- 
thing, I  can't  afford  to  raise  weeds  also.  Weeds  don't 
pay,  —  we  don't  believe  in  them." 

"  And  what  can  the  New-Yorkers  afford  to  give  you 
per  root  ^ "  again  inquired  the  old  man. 

"  Don't  know  what  they  can  afford,  but  they  do  afford 
to  pay  me  an  average  of  five  cents,"  was  the  rejoinder. 

"  Why,  that  's  far  better  than  Spangler's  cabbages,  or 
anybody  else's,"  added  Uncle  Benny. 

"  No  doubt  of  it,  —  it 's  better  than  my  own,  and  they 
are  equal  to  any  in  the  neighborhood,"  replied  Mr.  Allen. 
"The  fact  is,  Uncle  Benny,  agriculture  has  made  such 
astonishing  progress  within  the  last  fifteen  years,  and 
our  great  cities  have  so  increased  their  population,  that 
what  at  one  time  was  the  most  insignificant  farm  product 
has  risen  to  the  position  of  a  staple,  which  everybody 
wants.  I  could  name  a  dozen  such.  But  take  the  single 
article  of  horseradish,  one  of  the  most  insignificant  things 
that  ever  grew  in  a  farmer's  garden,  in  some  wet  place 
where  it  could  catch  the  drip  of  the  kitchen  pump.  I 
see  you  are  smiling  at  the  idea,  but  hear  me  through. 
It  is  now  cultivated  in  fields  of  from  ten  to  twenty  acres, 
and  goes  to  the  great  cities  by  hundreds  of  tons.  There 
is   a   single   dealer   in   New    York    who    buys    thirty    tons 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  1 29 

annually.  He  has  machinery,  driven  by  steam,  which 
grinds  or  rasps  it  up  into  pulp,  after  which  it  is  mixed 
with  vinegar  and  bottled  up  in  various  ways  to  preserve 
its  strength  and  flavor.  It  is  then  sold  in  great  quan- 
tities as  part  of  the  stores  of  every  ship,  not  only  as  a 
condiment  for  the  table,  but  as  a  certain  preventive  of 
the  scurvy.  In  this  prepared  state  it  goes  all  over  the 
country,  and  is  thus  consumed  in  every  hotel  and  board- 
ing-house. Even  private  families  have  become  so  luxu- 
rious and  indolent  in  their  habits  as  to  refuse  to  grate 
their  own  horseradish,  preferring  to  buy  it  ready  grated. 
Thus  there  is  a  vast  body  of  consumers,  with  only  a 
limited  number  of  growers.  But  it  is  used  in  other 
ways,  in  the  arts,  and  for  other  purposes.  Go  into  any 
market-house  in  a  large  city,  and  you  will  see  men  with 
machines  grinding  up  horseradish  for  crowds  of  customers 
who  come  daily  to  be  supplied  with  a  few  cents'  worth. 
These  apparently  small  operators  do  a  very  large  business, 
for  the  pennies  have  a  way  of  counting  up  into  dollars 
that  would  surprise  one  who  has  never  gone  into  a  cal- 
culation. 

"The  facility  of  getting  horseradish  ready  ground  in- 
duces people  to  buy  many  times  the  quantity  they  would 
if  compelled  to  grind  for  themselves.  I  have  no  idea 
that  the  business  of  growing  it  can  be  overdone.  I  have 
been  raising  it  for  twenty  years,  and  have  found  that 
9 


130  FARMING  FOR  BOYS. 

the  more  I  produce,  the  more  I  can  sell  Besides,  there 
is  no  farm  crop  that  gives  less .  trouble  or  pays  better." 

While  this  colloquy  was  going  on,  the  boys  had  wan- 
dered some  few  paces  away,  and  the  Spanglers  were 
examining  the  three  acres  with  close  attention,  when  one 
of  the  Aliens  exclaimed,  "  That 's  our  acre,  —  we  take 
care  of  that,  —  that 's  the  way  we  pay  father  for  our 
corn." 

This  piece  of  information  was  very  satisfactory  to  the 
Spanglers.  They  had  been  wanting  to  know  how  the 
Aliens  contrived  to  feed  their  pigeons,  whether  out  of 
their  own  crib  or  their  father's. 

Just  then  Mr.  Allen  and  Uncle  Benny  came  up,  and 
the  former  said,  "  Now  this  outside  acre  of  horseradish  be- 
longs to  my  boys  and  their  sister.  They  take  the  whole 
care  of  it  except  harrowing  the  ground,  but  doing  the 
hoeing,  weeding,  and  harvesting,  their  sister  helping  them 
to  wash  it  and  get  it  ready  for  market.  I  think  it  right 
to  give  them  a  chance  to  do  something  for  themselves. 
I  remember  when  I  was  a  poor  boy,  that  a  very  mean 
one  was  afforded  to  me,  though  I  wanted  so  much  to 
make  some  kind  of  a  beginning.  All  the  money  this 
acre  produces  belongs  to  them.  They  keep  regular  ac- 
counts of  what  is  done  upon  it,  charging  themselves  with 
the  ploughing,  cultivating,  and  also  with  what  we  estimate 
their    pigeons    will    consume.      All    the    money    produced 


FARMING   FOR  BOYS.  *     I3I 

from  these  two  sources,  after  deducting  expenses,  belongs 
to  them,  and  I  put  the  most  of  it  out  for  them  as  an  in- 
vestment, where  it  increases  a  little  every  year,  and  will 
be  a  snug  capital  for  them  to  begin  life  with.  I  think  it 
is  about  the  best  investment,  next  to  underdraining,  that 
I  have  ever  made." 


132 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 


CHAPTER    IX. 

How  TO  MANAGE  A  Peach-Orchard.  —  A  Boy's  Work-shop.  —  A  Crowd 
OF  Poultry.  —  Making  the  Hens  lay. — A  Boys'  Library. 


A  S  they  strolled  over  the  grounds  on  their  return  to  the 
-^  *"  house,  they  passed  a  peach-orchard  in  its  prime  of 
bearing,  which  showed  a  surprising  amount  of  blooni.  The 
old  man  paused  at  the  end  of  a  row  to  admire  the  beautiful 
symmetry  of  the  trees.  They  had  all  been  headed  in  by 
an  experienced  hand,  —  that  is,  the  extreme  ends  of  the 
limbs  had  been  cut  off  by  means  of  a  sharp  knife  set  in 
the  end  of  a  handle  about  three  feet  in  length,  by  which 
one  half  of  the  wood  made  the  preceding  summer  had  been 
removed.  Even  the  topmost  branches  had  been  shortened 
in  the  same  way,  so  that  the  fruit  at  the  very  top  could 
be  readily  gathered  by  standing  on  a  common  chair,  while 
the  remainder  could  be  reached  from  the  ground.  The 
trees,  being  thus  deprived  of  all  long,  straggling  limbs, 
were  kept  in  a  smaller  space,  and  were  compact  and 
rounded   in  their  outline. 

As  Uncle  Benny  had  never  seen  this  mode  of  pruning 
the  peach-tree  adopted  by  any  other  person,  Mr.  Allen  ex- 
plained the  theory  on  which  it  was  founded.  He  said  that 
the  peach-tree  bore  its  fruit  on  the  wood  which  had  grown 


FARMING    FOR   BOYS.  1 33 

the  preceding  year,  and  that  much  of  this  new  wood  was 
sent  out  from  the  ends  of  the  branches.  There  was  there- 
fore a  continual  extension  of  these  branches  upwards  and 
all  round  the  tree,  until  they  pushed  out  so  far  in  search 
of  air  and  sunshine  that  the  limbs  became  too  weak  to  sup- 
port the  load  of  fruit  which  grew  upon  their  extremities. 
They  consequently  broke  down  under  the  excessive  weight ; 
the  fruit  thus  falling  to  the  ground  did  not  ripen,  and  was 
therefore  lost,  while  the  tree  itself  was  seriously  injured  by 
the  loss  of  the  great  broken  limbs  which  had  to  be  cut 
away.  It  was  the  habit  of  the  tree  to  produce  too  much, 
and  the  prevailing  sin  of  the  peach-grower  was  that  of 
permitting  it  to  bear  an  excessive  crop. 

The  true  remedy  was  to  begin  when  the  trees  were 
planted.  As  the  roots  spread,  so  the  limbs  multiplied  and 
extended.  This  extension  must  be  arrested  by  shortening 
them  every  year,  in  the  spring  for  instance,  and  cutting  off 
at  least  one  half  of  the  new  growth.  The  operation  gave 
the  tree  a  beautifully  rounded  head  from  the  start,  and  there 
would  be  no  difficulty  in  preserving  the  same  compact  out- 
line. Of  course  this  trimming  removed  one  half  of  the 
fruit-buds,  so  that  the  tree  would  produce  only  half  as  many 
peaches  as  when  permitted  to  sprawl  away  over  twice  the 
quantity  of  ground. 

But  this  reduction  of  the  quantity  of  fruit  was  exactly 
the  result  which  every  careful  horticulturist  would  seek  to 


134  FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 

produce.  What  he  lost  in  quantity  he  would  realize  in 
quality,  and  it  is  quality  that  commands  great  cash  returns, 
not  quantity.  If  he  had  fewer  peaches,  they  would  be  three 
or  four  times  as  large  and  fine,  and  consequently  would 
command  the  best  price  of  the  market.  He  would  also 
have  fewer  to  gather  and  handle.  His  trees  would  be  all 
the  better  for  being  thus  prevented  from  breaking  down  under 
an  excessive  crop,  as  the  loss  of  a  hundred  tips  of  young 
wood  resulted  in  no  injury,  while  the  tearing  away  of  two  or 
three  old  limbs  was  followed  by  wounds  which  generally  went 
on  growing  larger,  until  the  tree  died  before  its  time. 

As  regarded  the  superior  quality  of  the  fruit  produced, 
Mr.  Allen  said  there  could  be  no  dispute  about  it  among 
those  who  had  ever  tried  this  mode  of  checking  the  excessive 
bearing  propensity  of  the  peach.  A  little  reflection  would 
convince  any  one  of  its  reasonableness,  even  without  having 
witnessed  the  result.  Though  the  top  of  the  tree  was 
reduced  in  size,  and  the  fruit-buds  diminished  in  number, 
yet  the  roots  went  on  extending,  —  there  was  no  pruning 
of  them.  As  they  extended  themselves  in  search  of  nourish- 
ment, so  they  accumulated  it  in  proportion  to  the  extension. 
This  annual  accumulation  was  sent  up  into  the  tree  as 
the  fountain  from  which  it  was  to  form  new  wood  and 
perfect  a  crop  of  fruit.  But  though  half  the  fruit-buds 
were  removed,  yet  the  volume  of  nourishment  was  as  great 
as  before.     It  would  therefore  pour  into  each  peach  exactly 


FARMING   FOR  BOYS.  1 35 

double  the  amount  of  food  it  could  have  done  had  no  buds 
been  removed.  The  distribution  of  this  over  a  full  crop 
would  only  result  in  small-sized  peaches,  while  its  concen- 
tration upon  a  half-crop  would  bring  the  half-crop  up  to, 
and  even  beyond,  the  value  of  the  whole  one. 

Turning  round  to  Tony  King,  who,  with  the  other  boys, 
was  listening  to  this  explanation,  Mr.  Allen  added  :  "  Why, 
Tony,  take  your  litter  of  pigs  as  proof  of  what  you  have 
heard.  You  now  feed  them  tolerably  well,  I  suppose  ;  but 
if  you  were  to  kill  half  of  them,  and  continued  giving  to  the 
remaining  half  the  same  quantity  of  corn  and  swill  that  you 
had  given  to  the  whole  number,  don't  you  think  those  that 
thus  had  double  feed  would  grow  a  great  deal  faster  than 
they  do  now  ?  " 

This  was  a  form  of  illustration  they  could  not  fail  to  under- 
stand, and  they  readily  assented  to  its  soundness. 

"Well,"  he  continued,  "it  is  the  same  with  peaches,  and 
almost  all  other  fruits,  —  feed  them  liberally,  and  you  will 
have  the  best." 

There  were  some  three  hundred  trees  in  this  peach-orchard. 
Uncle  Benny,  as  well  as  the  boys,  was  puzzled  to  know  what 
it  was  he  saw  tied  round  the  but  of  each  tree  just  at  the 
ground.  His  eyes  were  too  old  to  tell  without  going  up  to 
one  of  them  and  stooping  down  to  examine.  On  doing  so  he 
discovered  that  every  tree  was  encased  in  a  jacket  of  coarse, 
thickish  pasteboard,  which  reached  about  an  inch  below  the 


136  FARMING    FOR   BOYS. 


ground,  and  stood  some  six  inches  high,  just  embracing  all 
the  neck  or  soft  part  of  the  bark  at  the  surface.  It  was  kept 
to  its  place  round  the  but  by  a  string. 

Mr.  Allen  explained  the  meaning  of  this  contrivance.  He 
said  that,  very  soon  after  he  had  planted  his  trees,  he  discov- 
ered that  the  worms  had  attacked  them  ;  and  finding  it  a 
very  troublesome  business  to  hunt  them  out  from  the  roots 
of  so  many  trees,  he  concluded  it  would  be  much  less  labor 
to  prevent  their  getting  in,  than  to  get  them  out  after  they 
had  once  made  a  lodgement.  He  therefore,  after  thoroughly 
worming  the  trees  in  the  spring,  supplied  each  with  a  paste- 
board jacket,  which  his  boys  tied  on  the  whole  orchard  in 
a  day.  The  peach-fly  was  thus  kept  from  laying  its  eggs 
in  the  soft  bark  at  the  surface  of  the  ground,  the  only  place 
it  selects ;  and  as  no  eggs  were  deposited  on  his  trees,  they 
had  not  been  troubled  with  worms  since  he  had  practised 
this  cheap  and  simple  remedy.  The  jackets  were  put  on 
in  April,  taken  off  in  November,  and  laid  by  until  wanted 
the  next  season. 

Uncle  Benny  and  his. boys  were  surprised  at  the  variety 
of  new  things  they  met  with  on  this  farm.  As  long  as  they 
tarried  and  they  strolled,  the  novelties  appeared  to  increase 
in  number.  Drawing  nearer  to  the.  house,  they  passed  exten- 
sive beds  of  strawberries,  and  long  rows  of  raspberries.  When 
they  came  to  the  outbuildings,  Mr.  Allen  took  them  into 
quite  a  large  room  attached  to  the  carriage-shed,  which  he 


I 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS,  I37 

called  the  boys*  tool-house.  The  visitors  had  never  imagined 
anything  like  what  they  saw  here.  There  was  a  work-bench 
and  a  lathe,  with  a  complete  assortment  of  carpenters*  and 
turning  tools.  Most  of  them  were  hung  up  in  places  espe- 
cially provided  for  them,  or  arranged  in  racks  against  the  side 
of  the  room,  convenient  to  whoever  might  be  at  the  bench. 

Nothing  elated  the  boys  so  much  as  this  exhibition  of 
mechanical  fixtures,  —  it  was  an  epitome  of  a  hundred  aspi- 
rations. There  were  little  boxes,  rabbit-traps,  and  other 
contrivances,  in  the  room,  which  the  Allen  boys  had  made 
for  themselves,  showing  that,  young  as  they  were,  they  had 
already  learned  the  art  of  using  tools.  The  Spanglers  looked 
round  the  room  with  admiration,  perhaps  with  envy. 

"  Better  than  our  barn  on  a  rainy  day,"  said  Uncle  Benny, 
addressing  Tony. 

"  Yes,  or  anything  else  on  our  place,"  he  responded. 

"  Now,  Uncle  Benny,"  said  Mr.  Allen,  "  I  have  somewhere 
read  that  there  is  in  all  men  a  making  or  mamifactiLring  in- 
stinct. Our  houses,  ships,  machinery,  in  fact,  everything  we 
use,  are  the  practical  results  of  this  instinct.  Boys  possess 
it  strongly.  A  pocket-knife  is  more  desirable  to  them  than 
marbles  or  a  humming-top.  They  can  whittle  with  it, — 
make  boats,  kites,  and  twenty  other  things  which  all  boys 
want.  Tools  are  a  great  incentive  to  industry  and  ingenuity. 
Give  a  smart  boy  the  use  of  such  a  place  as  this,  or  a  little 
tool-chest  of  his  own,  and  he  will  cease  to  associate  with  the 


158  FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 

rude  crowd  in  the  street  among  whom  he  had  found  amuse- 
ment. He  will  stay  more  at  home,  where  he  will  learn  to 
do  many  little  useful  jobs  about  the  house.  He  will  be  kept 
out  of  mischief  Let  him  make  water-wheels,  little  wagons, 
toy-boats,  sleds,  and  houses.  The  possession  of  a  tool-chest 
will  develop  his  mechanical  ability.  I  don't  know  who  it 
is  that  writes  thus,  but  they  are  exactly  my  ideas.  This  is  a 
busy  place  on  a  rainy  day." 

This  work-room  served  a  double  purpose,  as  one  side  was 
devoted  exclusively  to  hoes,  and  rakes,  and  spades,  and  other 
farming  tools.  The  inflexible  rule  of  the  farm  was,  that, 
when  a  tool  was  taken  out  for  work,  it  must  be  returned  to 
its  proper  place  as  soon  as  the  work  was  done.  Placards 
were  posted  up  behind  the  lathe  and  bench,  bearing  these 
words  in  large  letters  :  — 

"  A   PLACE  FOR   EVERYTHING,  AND   EVERYTHING  IN  ITS   PLACE." 

A  little  patient  drilling  of  the  boys  in  this  rule  made  them 
obedient  and  thoughtful.  There  were  no  tools  lying  in  odd 
corners  about  the  farm,  hoes  hung  up  in  trees  where  none 
would  think  of  looking  for  them,  or  spades  left  in  the  ground 
where  the  last  digging  had  been  done  ;  but  as  each  went 
regularly  into  its  place,  so  it  could  always  be  found  when 
wanted.  There  was  consequently  no  loss  of  tools,  nor  of 
time  in  looking  for  them. 

The  Spangler  boys  were  also  struck   with  the  small  size 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  1 39 

of  some  of  the  farming  tools.  There  were  hoes  and  rakes 
and  spades  scarcely  half  as  large,  and  not  nearly  so  heavy, 
as  those  usually  wielded  by  men.  On  taking  hold  of  these, 
they  could  feel  the  difference  between  them  and  the  clumsy 
tools  with  which  they  worked  at  home.  The  handles  were 
thinner,  the  iron-work  was  lighter,  and  they  felt  sure  they 
could  do  more  work  with  these  convenient  implements  than 
with  the  heavy  ones  they  had  always  used.  It  was  as  much 
by  the  unnecessary  weight  of  the  tools  that  their  young 
muscles  were  fatigued,  as  by  the  labor  itself  Uncle  Benny 
noticed  the  same  thing  in  these,  and  admired  the- wisdom  of 
Mr.  Allen  in  thus  consulting  the  comfort  of  his  boys  by  pro- 
viding them  with  implements   adapted  to  their  strength. 

"  If,"  said  the  latter,  "  we  are  ever  to  make  labor  attractive 
to  our  sons,  we  must  be  careful  not  to  disgust  them  with  it, 
by  requiring  them  to  work  with  tools  so  heavy  that  strong 
men  only  can  handle  them  without  breaking  down  under 
their  weight.  How  absurd  it  would  be  to  harness  a  man 
to  a  horse-rake,  and  expect  him  to  rake  up  a  hay-field  with 
it.  Yet  half  our  farmers  never  take  this  matter  into  consid- 
eration, but  act  as  if  they  thought  a  young  boy  could  handle 
a  clumsy  hoe  as  comfortably  as  they  do.  I  find  it  has  paid 
me  well  to  invest  a  few  dollars  in  these  light  tools  for  the 
boys.  They  don't  overtask  their  strength,  and.  hence  they 
can  stand  up  to  a  full  day's  work  without  coming  home  so 
fatigued  as  to  wish  that  no  such  thing  as  work  had  ever  been 
invented." 


140  FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 

The  Spanglers  followed  their  leaders  out  of  the  tool-house 
with  evident  reluctance.  It  seemed  to  have  obtained  a 
stronger  hold  on  their  affections  than  anything  they  had  so 
far  seen.  The  ownership  of  a  jack-knife  had  at  one  time 
been  all  their  modest  ambition  desired  ;  then  the  possession 
of  a  tool-chest  like  Uncle  Benny's  would  have  gratified  their 
utmost  wishes  ;  but  having  witnessed  this  profusely  furnished 
establishment,  their  longings,  like  those  of  children  of  a  larger 
growth,  seemed  to  acquire  intensity  as  the  difficulty  of  grat- 
ification increased.  That  night  they  talked  of  tools  until 
sleep  overtook  them  in  bed,  and  dreamed  of  them  after  it 
had  closed  their  eyelids. 

By  this  time  it  was  so  nearly  sunset  that  Mr.  Allen's  great 
stock  of  poultry  had  congregated  just  in  front  of  the  com- 
pany, knowing  by  instinct  that,  if  bedtime  were  approach- 
ing, supper-time  also  must  be  close  at  hand.  They  knew  well 
the  young  hands  that  fed  them,  and  held  up  their  heads  in 
hungry  expectation  of  the  generous  meal  they  were  to  receive. 
But  the  feathered  crowd  was  so  much  larger  than  it  had  been 
a  few  hours  before,  that  the  visitors  paused  to  inspect  it. 

There  were  chickens  of  the  best  domestic  breeds,  with 
here  and  there  an  uncouth  colossal  Shanghai,  standing  up 
on  great  clumsy  legs,  like  a  gallinaceous  giant,  overtopping 
the  squat  figures  of  the  common  fowls.  An  irate  hen,  im- 
patient of  the  expected  corn,  would  now  and  then,  with  sud- 
den peck  at  some  quiet  but  equally  hungry  neighbor,  seize 


4 


FARMING    FOR   BOYS. 


141 


a  feather  in  the  wing  or  neck  of  the  unsuspecting  waiter, 
and  wring  from  her  not  only  the  feather,  but  a  piercing  cry. 
As  this  barbarous  sport  was  constantly  indulged  in  through- 


out the  crowd,  a  loud  clamor  of  pain  and  spite  and  impatience 
rose  up  from  among  the  hungry  assemblage.  The  turkevs 
stalked  at  random  through  its  dense  ranks,  holding  up  their 


142  FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 

heads  and  looking  round  with  a  native  gravity,  although 
equally  keen  for  supper,  and  once  in  a  while  plunging  sudden- 
ly forward  to  escape  the  pinching  lunge  of  an  exasperated 
hen.  Overhead,  the  pigeons  sailed  in  a  large  flock,  while 
many  of  them  clustered  on  the  roofs  and  eaves  of  the  build- 
ings which  overhung  the  feeding-ground,  too  timid  to  battle 
with  the  turbulent  and  squalling  crowd  which  now  had  it  in 
possession,  but  ready  to  settle  down  whenever  the  gastro- 
nomic foray  should  begin.  Altogether  it  was  the  busiest  and 
noisiest  scene  of  the  kind  the  Spanglers  had  ever  witnessed  ; 
nor  did  they  know  it  was  possible  for  Mr.  Allen's  farm  to 
present  it,  so  limited  had  been  their  opportunities  of  seeing 
even  what  their  nearest  neighbors  were  doing. 

"  How  is  it  about  eggs  in  winter  ? "  inquired  Uncle 
Benny,  addressing  himself  to  Mr.  Allen.  "Do  you  get 
any  ?  Spangler  has  a  breed  of  hens  that  appear  to  do 
nothing  in  cold  weather  but  eat.  They  did  n't  lay  an  egg 
last  winter." 

"Ah,  Uncle  Benny,"  replied  Mr.  Allen,  "he  don't  manage 
his  hens  the  right  way.  Indeed,  I  don't  know  any  operation 
of  his  that  's  carried  on  as  it  should  be,  though  his  farm 
is  naturally  as  good  as  mine.  It  is  management  altogether 
that  makes  a  farmer,  and  mismanagement  that  breaks  him. 
Why,  I  sent  eggs  to  Trenton  twice  a  week  all  through 
the  winter,  and  eggs  are  high  now,  you  know.  I  think 
thev  have  more  than  paid  for  all  the  fowls  have  consumed  ; 


FARMING   FOR  BOYS.  1 43 

' — the  boys  have  it  down  in  their  account-book,  and  could 
tell  to  a  cent  both  how  much  feed  has  been  eaten  and  how 
much  money  the  eggs  have  brought.  I  don't  allow  them 
to  receive  or  lay  out  a  cent  without  setting  it  down.  If 
they  buy  a  fishing-pole  or  a  Jews-harp  it  must  go  down 
in  the  book,  for  at  the  year's  end,  when  they  find  they  have 
spent  so  much  money,  they  must  be  able  to  tell  me  and 
their  mother  how  it  was  spent.  You  may  think  it  a  great 
deal  of  trouble  to  be  so  particular,  and  it  was  so  to  get 
them  into  it,  but  it  is  a  kind  of  trouble  that  pays  in  the 
end.  My  boys  thus  learn  early  what  they  must  learn  some 
time,  and  what  too  many  are  never  taught  at  all. 

"Now,"  he  continued,  "others  no  doubt  do  better  with 
their  poultry  in  cold  weather  than  myself  But  my  plan 
is  to  confine  them  in  quarters  that  are  roomy,  airy,  and 
kept  as  clean  as  a  thorough  cleaning  once  or  twice  a  week 
can  make  them,  with  warm  shelter  from  cold  winds  and 
rain.  I  am  particular  about  letting  them  have  only  clean 
water  to  drink,  and  that  always  within  reach.  Then  there 
is  a  full  supply  of  broken  oyster-shells,  lime,  and  bone-dust, 
with  ashes  and  gravel.  All  these  are  necessary  to  con- 
tinued good  health,  and  to  keep  off  vermin. 

"Then,  as  to  feeding,  they  get  every  green  thing  from 
the  kitchen  that  most  persons  throw  to  the  pigs,  such  as 
cabbage-leaves,  celery  parings  and  tops,  with  turnip  and 
potato  parings.     They  also  have  boiled  potatoes  and  Indian 


144 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 


meal,  and  every  scrap  of  cold  meat  from  the  kitchen.  It 
is  not  always  there  is  meat  enough,  in  which  case  I  supply 
them  with  what  is  called  chandlers*  greaves,  or  cracklings, 
softened  by  soaking  in  water.  Of  this  I  give  them  as  much 
as  they  want,  never  allowing  them  to  be  without  meat  of 
some  description.  I  have  often  brought  home  a  sheep's 
pluck,  and,  after  chopping  it  up  fine,  given  it  to  them  raw. 
They  devour  these  things  so  greedily  as  to  satisfy  me  that 
meat,  or  animal  food  of  some  kind,  such  as  worms,  grass- 
hoppers, flies,  and  other  insects,  is  necessary  to  the  healthy 
life  of  poultry.  At  all  events,  they  never  laid  eggs  regularly 
for  me  in  cold  weather  until  I  began  to  give  them  plenty 
of  meat." 

"I  regard  your  success  as  evidence  of  the  soundness  of 
your  system  of  feeding,"  replied  Uncle  Benny. 

"There  is  really  a  great  deal  of  reason  in  it,  when  one 
looks  into  the  subject,"  he  resumed.  "You  see.  Uncle 
Benny,  that,  when  fowls  range  over  the  ground  in  summer, 
they  pick  up  an  almost  endless  variety  of  animal  food, 
such  as  worms,  crickets,  grasshoppers,  and  flies.  But  as 
cold  weather  comes  on,  all  this  supply  of  food  disappears, 
and  it  is  very  remarkable  that  as  soon  as  the  supply  di- 
minishes they  begin  to  quit  laying.  When  these  rations 
are  entirely  cut  off  by  severe  winter  weather,  the  supply 
of  eggs  ceases.  The  two  results  occur  with  so  much  uni- 
formity as  to  satisfy  me  that  the  production  of  eggs  is 
dependent  on  the  supply  of  animal  food. 


FARMING    FOR    BOYS.  145 

"Every  farmer,"  he  added,  "knows  that  hens  do  not  lay 
in  cold  weather,  but  few  understand  the  cause,  or  if  they  do, 
they  are  too  careless  to  apply  the  remedy.  I  have  learned 
to  look  upon  a  hen  as  a  mere  machine  for  manufacturing 
eggs.  She  may  be  likened  to  a  sausage-stuffer.  If  you 
introduce  into  it  no  nicely  seasoned  compound  of  the  proper 
materials,  I  wonder  how  it  can  be  expected  to  turn  out 
sausages  ?  It  is  precisely  so  with  a  hen,  —  if  you  expect 
her  to  turn  out  eggs,  you  must  introduce  into  the  wonderful 
machine  which  grinds  up  worms  and  sheep's  pluck  into 
eggs  some  assortment  of  the  materials  that  will  enable  her 
to  project  them  regularly  every  day. 

"Now  the  machine  will  certainly  work,  if  you  keep  up 
its  energies  by  giving  it  such  food  as  it  needs.  Our  stoves 
require  twice  as  much  feeding  in  cold  weather  as  they  do 
in  summer,  and  I  never  yet  saw  a  grist-mill  that  would 
turn  out  flour  unless  you  put  grain  into  the  hopper.  There 
is  another  curious  fact  which  long  practice  in  poultry-raising 
has  brought  under  my  notice ;  that  is,  that  eggs  laid  by 
a  hen  well  supplied  with  animal  food  are  not  only  larger 
in  size,  but  richer  in  quality.  My  Trenton  storekeeper 
often  tells  me  that  my  eggs  are  larger  than  any  other 
wifiter-laid  ones  that  he  sees,  and  that  they  generally  sell 
for  a  few  cents  more  per  dozen.  All  these  odds  and  ends 
of  pluck  and  giblets  that  my  fowls  get  during  the  winter 
cost  very  little  money.     But  in  return  for  that  outlay,  look 

lO 


146  .FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 

at  the  result,  —  I  really  double  the  length  of  the  laying 
season,  adding  the  increase  at  the  very  time  when  eggs 
are  scarce  and  bringing  the  highest  prices.  If  it  were  not 
for  this  plan  of  feeding,  I  don't  believe  my  poultry-keeping 
would  pay  much  profit.  To  make  poultry  profitable  you 
must  exercise  care.  But  can  you  make  anything  pay  with- 
out careful  management }  If  there  be  such  things,  I  should 
like  to  know  what  they  are." 

"I  think  ypu  have  hit  it  this  time  also,"  observed  Uncle 
Benny.     "  Whatever  your  hand  touches  seems  to  prosper." 

"  But  most  of  these  little  variations  from  the  practice  of 
other  farmers  are  not  of  my  own  originating,"  replied  Mr. 
Allen.  "  I  learned  them  principally  from  books  and  periodi- 
cals. From  one  I  obtained  the  whole  formula  of  how  to  pro- 
ceed, while  in  another  a  mere  hint  was  dropped.  But  even 
a  hint.  Uncle  Benny,  is  sufficient  for  an  observing  mind. 
Some  which  struck  me  as  pointing  to  valuable  results,  I  fol- 
lowed up  and  improved  upon  to  the  greatest  advantage.  Now 
I  have  a  treasury  of  these  things,  which  I  will  show  you." 

He  led  the  whole  company  forward  into  the  house,  and 
ushered  them  into  a  room  which  he  called  the  library.  There 
were  shelves  covering  two  sides  of  a  very  capacious  room, 
filled  with  books,  periodicals,  and  newspapers.  The  old  man 
glanced  hastily  at  the  titles,  and  found  that  there  were  works 
on  history,  biography,  and  travels,  with  at  least  thirty  volumes 
of  different  agricultural  publications,  showing  that  Mr.  Allen 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  I47 

was  a  close  student  of  whatever  was  passing  in  the  agricul- 
tural world,  keeping  up,  from  week  to  week,  with  the  wonderful 
progress  which  is  everywhere  witnessed  in  the  art  of  tilling 
and  improving  the  soil,  and  with  the  multitude  of  valuable 
suggestions  and  experiences  which  cro'wd  the  agricultural 
publications  of  our  country.  There  were  also  pen  and  ink, 
paper,  and  an  account-book,  always  convenient  for  making 
an  entry  when  in  a  hurry.  On  another  table,  especially 
provided  for  the  boys,  were  similar  conveniences.  In  short, 
the  whole  arrangements  and  appliances  of  the  room  were 
such  as  would  make  them  attractive  to  boys  who  had  the 
least  fondness  for  reading,  while  they  would  be  potent  help- 
ers to  such  as  were  ambitious  of  acquiring  knowledge.  They 
gave  unmistakable  indications  of  Mr.  Allen's  mind  and  taste, 
showing  that  within  doors,  as  well  as  without,  his  ambition 
was  to  be  progressive. 

Uncle  Benny  looked  round  the  comfortable  room  in  silent 
admiration,  and  determined  in  his  own  mind  that  he  would 
make  renewed  efforts  to  put  within  reach  of  the  Spanglers 
some  additional  portion  of  the  great  volume  of  current  knowl- 
edge adapted  to  their  condition.  Even  they  were  struck 
with  the  cosiness  of  the  quiet  room,  the  two  older  ones  con- 
trasting it  with  the  comfortless  kitchen  which  was  their  only 
refuge  at  home. 

"  This  is  a  popular  place  for  a  stormy  day.  Uncle  Benny," 
observed   Mr.   Allen.     "This   and    the   workshop   are   great 


148      .  FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 

institutions  on  my  farm.  I  am  sometimes  at  a  loss  to  know 
which  the  boys  like  best.  But  the  variety,  the  change  from 
one  to  the  other,  is  a  valuable  incident  of  both.  The  work- 
shop is  excellent  by  daylight,  but  here  they  can  spend  their 
evenings,  and  here  the  whole  family  can  gather  together.  It 
becomes,  in  fact,  the  family  fireside ;  and  there  is  no  school 
so  important  as  that.  My  children  learn  much  at  school,  but 
here  they  learn  infinitely  more,  —  the  cultivation  of  the 
affections,  the  practice  of  good  manners,  the  lessons  which 
are  to  fit  them  for  future  usefulness  and  respectability,  and  I 
trust  for  happiness  hereafter.  This  fireside  education  is 
woven  in  with  the  very  woof  of  their  childhood,  and  it  is 
such  that  it  must  in  every  case  give  form  and  color  to  the 
whole  texture  of  human  life.  I  never  had  a  home  like  this 
until  I  created  it  for  myself  Had  I  been  granted  the  boyish 
opportunities  that  you  see  I  am  so  careful  to  bring  within 
reach  of  my  children,  I  should  have  been  far  better  informed 
than  I  am.  There  is  no  show  about  it ;  —  show  may  be 
easily  purchased,  but  happiness  is  a  home-made  article." 

"  I  look  upon  you  as  an  example,"  replied  Uncle  Benny. 
"  Neither  do  I  wonder  at  everything  seeming  to  prosper  that 
you  undertake.  Your  children  must  rise  up  and  call  you 
blessed." 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  14^ 


CHAPTER    X. 

Having  a  Dozen  Friends.  —  Killing  a  Snake.  —  Cruelty  condemned. — 
Lecture  on  a  Worm-fence.  —  Value  of  Agricultural  Fairs.  —  A 
returned  Adventurer. 

'nr^HE  party  soon  took  their  departure.  As  this  was  the 
-*-  first  time  that  Uncle  Benny  had  been  over  Mr.  Allen's 
farm,  he  was  proportionately  surprised  at  what  he  had  there 
seen  and  heard,  and  felt  vexed  with  himself  at  having  thus 
long  overlooked  so  useful  a  school  of  instruction  which  stood 
open  almost  at  his  very  door.  But  he  treasured  up  the  valu- 
able hints  he  had  received,  and  was  ever  ready  to  set  before 
the  Spangler  boys  the  strong  moral  of  the  example  they  had 
so  fortunately  witnessed.  The  incidents  of  the  afternoon 
formed  the  staple  of  their  conversation  during  a  slow  home- 
ward walk.  Tony  King  had  been  powerfully  impressed  by 
them.  They  seemed  to  operate  on  his  young  mind  as  dis- 
couragements to  hope,  rather  than  as  stimulants  to  persever- 
ance and  progress.  He  had  let  in  the  idea  that  the  distance 
between  his  friendless  condition  and  the  prosperous  one  of 
Mr.  Allen  could  never  be  overcome  by  any  effort  he  could 
exert.  In  this  frame  of  mind  he  suddenly  exclaimed,  looking 
up  to  Uncle  Benny,  "  How  I  wish  I  had  some  friends  to  help 
me  on  ! " 

The  old  man  stopped,  surprised  at  this  explosion  of  discon- 


150  FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 

tent,  and  replied  by  saying,  "  Tony,  you  have  a  dozen  friends 
without  appearing  to  know  it." 

"  Who  are  they  ^ "  he  eagerly  inquired. 

"  Hold  up  your  hands  ! "  replied  the  old  man.  "  Now  count 
your  fingers  and  thumbs.  There  !  you  have  ten  strong  friends 
that  you  can't  shake  off.  There  are  your  two  hands  besides. 
What  more  had  Mr.  Allen,  or  the  little  pedler  who  sold  you 
that  knife  ?  They  began  with  no  other  friends,  no  more  than 
you  have,  and  see  how  they  have  carved  their  way  up.  If 
you  can't  use  this  dozen  of  friends  to  help  you  on  in  the 
world  also,  it  will  be  your  own  fault.  It  will  be  time  enough 
for  you  to  pray  for  friends,  when  you  have  discovered  that 
those  you  were  born  with  are  not  able  to  provide  you  with 
what  you  may  need." 

Before  Tony  could  reply  to  this  home  thrust,  a  little  garter- 
snake,  only  a  few  inches  long,  came  running  across  their  path, 
directly  in  front  of  the  boys.  Bill  Spangler,  observing  it, 
cried  out,  "  Kill  him !  Kill  him ! "  and  Tony  also  noticing 
the  delicately  striped  little  creature,  as  well  as  that  it  was  hur- 
rying out  of  the  way  as  quickly  as  it  could,  instantly  jumped 
upon  it,  and  with  his  heavy  boot  stamped  it  to  death  at  one 
blow. 

Now,  in  most  men,  and  certainly  in  all  boys,  there  seems 
to  be  an  instinct  that  must  be  born  with  them,  which  impels 
them  to  kill  a  snake  whenever  he  happens  to  come  within 
reach  of  boot  or  stick.     If  not  a  natural  instinct,  descending 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  I5I 

to  them  from  our  first  mother,  it  must  be  one  of  those  univer- 
sal propensities  that  boys  learn  from  each  other  with  the 
ready  aptitude  of  youth,  and  with  a  sanguinary  alacrity.  It 
is  another  great  illustration  of  the  strength  of  the  imitative 
faculty  among  our  boys.  It  is  of  no  moment  what  may  be 
the  true  character  of  the  poor  wriggler  that  happens  to  cross 
their  path,  whether  venomous  or  harmless :  the  fact  of  its 
being  a  snake  is  enough,  and  if  they  can  so  contrive  it,  it 
must  die. 

It  was  this  propensity  that  caused  Bill,  the  youngest  of 
the  three,  to  shout  instantly  for  the  death  of  the  little  garter- 
snake,  and  impelled  Tony  to  spring  forward,  with  sympa- 
thetic promptness,  and  stamp  its  life  out.  There  was  not  a 
moment's  pause  for  thought  as  to  whether  the  creature  were 
not  in  some  way  useful  to  man,  nor  had  either  of  the  boys 
been  taught  to  remember  that,  even  if  a  living  thing  were  of 
no  use,  there  was  still  room  enough  in  the  world  for  both 
them  and  it.  Hence,  no  sooner  had  the  snake  come  within 
sight  than  its  fate  was  sealed.    • 

Uncle  Benny  did  not  belong  to  that  class  of  men  who  think 
themselves  justified  in  killing  insects  or  reptiles  wantonly, 
merely  because  they  happen  to  be  disagreeable  objects  to 
look  upon.  The  slaughter  of  the  poor  snake  had  been  ac- 
complished with  so  much  suddenness  that  he  had  no  time 
to  interpose  a  good  word  in  its  behalf,  or  he  would  have  glad- 
ly spoken  it.     The  act  was  therefore  a  real  grief  to  him,  not 


152 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 


only  from  pity  for  the  harmless  creature  whose  body  still 
writhed  with  muscular  activity,  even  after  consciousness  of 
suffering  had  departed,  but  because  it  showed  a  propensity 
for  inflicting  needless  pain  on  the  unoffending  brute  creation, 
which  he  had  never  before  seen  developed  in  these  boys. 

"  That  was  very  wrong,  boys,"  said  the  old  man  ;  "  that 
snake  did  you  no  harm,  nor  could  it  injure  any  one.  On  the 
contrary,  these  field  snakes  of  our  country  are  the  farmer's 
friends.  They  devour  insects,  mice,  and  other  enemies  to 
the  crops,  but  never  destroy  our  fruits.  They  do  not  poison 
when  they  bite.  They  are  not  your  snakes,  —  you  did  not 
give  them  life,  and  you  have  no  right  to  take  it  away.  There 
is  room  enough  in  this  world  for  all  living  things  that  have 
been  created,  without  a  single  one  of  them  being  in  your  way. 
Now  get  up  here." 

Saying  this,  he  mounted  himself  on  a  huge  rider  of  Span- 
gler's  worm  fence,  and,  when  the  boys  were  all  seated  beside 
him,  produced  a  newspaper  from  his  pocket,  and,  observing 
that  he  was  going  to  give  them  an  extract  from  a  lecture  of 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Beecher,  proceeded  to  read  the  following  appro- 
priate sentences : — 

"  A  wanton  destruction  of  insects,  simply  because  they  are 
insects,  without  question  as  to  their  habits,  without  inquiry 
as  to  their  mischievousness,  for  no  other  reason  than  that 
wherever  we  see  an  insect  we  are  accustomed  to  destroy  it, 
is  wrong.     We  have  no  right  to  seek  their  destruction  if  they 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  1 53 

be  harmless.  And  yet  we  rear  our  children  without  any 
conscience,  and  without  any  instruction  whatever  toward 
these  weaker  creatures  in  God's  world.  Our  only  thought 
of  an  insect  is  that  it  is  Something  to  be  broomed  or  trod  on. 
There  is  a  vague  idea  that  naturahsts  sometimes  pin  them 
to  the  wall,  for  some  reason  that  they  probably  know ;  but 
that  there  is  any  right,  or  rule,  or  law  that  binds  us  toward 
God's  minor  creatures,  scarcely  enters  into  our  conception. 

"A  spider  in  our  dwelling  is  out  of  place,  and  the  broom 
is  a  sceptre  that  rightly  sweeps  him  away :  but  in  the  pasture, 
where  he  belongs,  and  you  do  not,  —  where  he  is  of  no  incon- 
venience, and  does  no  mischief,  —  where  his  webs  are  but 
tables  spread  for  his  own  food,  —  where  he  follows  his  own 
instincts  in  catching  insects  for  his  livelihood,  as  you  do 
yours  in  destroying  everything,  almost,  that  lives,  for  your 
livelihood,  —  why  should  you  destroy  him  there,  in  his  brief 
hour  of  happiness  ?  And  yet,  wherever  you  see  a  spider, 
'  Hit  him  ! '  is  the  law  of  life. 

"  Upturn  a  stone  in  the  field.  You  shall  find  a  city  una- 
wares. Dwelling  together  in  peace  are  a  score  of  different 
insects.  Worms  draw  in  their  nimble  heads  from  the  daz- 
zling light.  Swift  shoot  shining  black  bugs  back  to  their 
covert.  Ants  swarm  with  feverish  agility,  and  bear  away 
their  eggs.  Now  sit  quietly  down  and  watch  the  enginery 
and  economy  that  are  laid  open  to  your  view.  Trace  the 
canals   or   highways   through   which   their  traffic   has   been 


154 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 


carried.  See  what  strange  conditions  of  life  are  going  on 
before  you.  Feel,  at  last,  sympathy  for  something  that  is 
not  a  reflection  of  yourself.  Learn  to  be  interested  without 
egotism.  But  no,  the  first  impulse  of  rational  men,  educated 
to  despise  insects  and  God's  minor  works,  is  to  seek  another 
stone,  and,  with  kindled  eye,  pound  these  thoroughfares  of 
harmless  insect  life  until  all  is  utterly  destroyed.  And  if  we 
leave  them  and  go  our  way,  we  have  a  sort  of  lingering  sen^e 
that  we  have  fallen  somewhat  short  of  our  duty.  The  most 
universal  and  the  most  unreasoning  destroyer  is  man,  who 
symbolizes  death  better  than  any  other  thing. 

"  I,  too,  learned  this  murderous  pleasure  in  my  boyhood. 
Through  long  years  I  have  tried  to  train  myself  out  of  it ; 
and  at  last  I  have  unlearned  it.  I  love,  in  summer,  to  seek 
the  solitary  hillside,  —  that  is  less  solitary  than  even  the 
crowded  city,  —  and,  waiting  till  my  intrusion  has  ceased  to 
alarm,  watch  the  wonderful  ways  of  life  which  a  kind  God 
has  poured  abroad  with  such  profusion.  And  I  am  not 
ashamed  to  confess  that  the  leaves  of  that  great  book  of 
revelation  which  God  opens  every  morning,  and  spreads  in 
the  valleys,  on  the  hills,  and  in  the  forests,  is  rich  with  mar- 
vellous lessons  that  I  could  read  nowhere  else.  And  often 
things  have  taught  me  what  words  had  failed  to  teach.  Yea, 
the  words  of  revelation  have  themselves  been  interpreted  to 
my  understanding  by  the  things  that  I  have  seen  in  the 
solitudes  of  populous  nature.     I  love  to  feel  my  relation  to 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  155 

every  part  of  animated  nature.  I  try  to  go  back  to  that 
simplicity  of  Paradise  in  which  man  walked,  to  be  sure  at  the 
head  of  the  animal  kingdom,  but  not  bloody,  desperate,  cruel, 
crushing  whatever  was  not  useful  to  him.  I  love  to  feel 
that  my  relationship  to  God  gives  me  a  right  to  look  sympa- 
thetically upon  all  that  God  nourishes.  In  his  bitterness, 
Job  declared,  'I  have  said  to  the  worm,  Thou  art  my 
mother  and  my  sister.*  We  may  not  say  this ;  but  I 
surely  say  to  all  living  things  in  God's  creation,  *  I  am  your 
elder  brother,  and  the  almoner  of  God's  bounty  to  you. 
Being  his  son,  I  too  have  a  right  to  look  with  beneficence 
upon  your  little  lives,  even  as  the  greater  Father  does.' 

"A  wanton  disregard  of  life  and  happiness  toward  the  in- 
sect kingdom  tends  to  produce  carelessness  of  the  happiness 
of  animal  life  everywhere.  I  do  not  mean  to  say  that  a  man 
who  would  needlessly  crush  a  fly  would  therefore  slay  a  man ; 
but  I  do  mean  to  say  that  that  moral  constitution  out  of 
which  springs  kindness  is  hindered  by  that  which  wantonly 
destroys  happiness  anywhere.  Men  make  the  beasts  of 
burden,  that  minister  to  life  and  comfort,  the  objects,  fre- 
quently, of  attention  that  distresses  them,  or  of  neglect  that 
is  more  cruel.  And  I  hold  that  a  man  who  wantonly  would 
destroy  insect  life,  or  would  destroy  the  comfort  of  the  animal 
that  serves  him,  is  prepared  to  be  inhuman  toward  the  lower 
forms  of  human  life.  The  inhumanity  of  man  to  animals 
has  become  shocking.     I  scarcely  pass  through  the  streets  of 


156 


FARMING   FOR  BOYS. 


Brooklyn  or  New  York,  that  I  do  not  behold  monstrous  and 
wanton  cruelty.  There  are  things  done  to  animals  that  should 
send  a  man  to  prison  every  day  of  our  lives.  And  it  is  high 
time  that  there  should  be  associations  formed  here  to  main- 
tain decency  and  kindness  toward  the  brute  creation,  as 
there  have  been  formed  in  Paris  and  London,  and  almost 
all  civilized  countries  except  our  own.  Cruelty  to  animals 
tends  to  cruelty  to  men.  The  fact  is,  that  all  those  invasions 
of  life  and  happiness  which  are  educating  men  to  an  indul- 
gence of  their  passions,  to  a  disregard  of  God's  work,  to 
a  low  and  base  view  of  creation,  to  a  love  of  destructiveness, 
and  to  a  disposition  that  carries  with  it  cruelty  and  suffering, 
and  that  is  hindered  from  breaking  out  only  by  fear  and 
selfishness,  lead  to  a  disregard  of  labor  and  the  laborer.  The 
nature  which  they  beget  will  catch  man  in  his  sharp  neces- 
sities, and  mercilessly  coerce  him  to  the  benefit  of  the  strong 
and  the  spoiling  of  the  weak.  And  it  is  the  interest  of 
the  poor  man,  and  the  oppressed  man,  that  there  should 
be  a  Christianity  that  shall  teach  men  to  regard  the  whole 
animated  kingdom  below  themselves  as  God's  kingdom,  and 
as  having  rights  —  minor  and  lower  rights,  but  rights  — 
before  God  and  before  man." 

"You  see,  boys,"  continued  Uncle  Benny,  "what  this 
gentleman  thinks  and  says  on  this  subject,  and  I  trust  you 
will  remember,  hereafter,  that  all  God's  creatures  have  as 
perfect  a  right  to  live  in  his  world  as  you  have." 


i 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  1 57 

There  was  a  peculiarity  of  Uncle  Benny's  mode  of 
correcting  the  bad  habits  of  the  boys,  —  he  was  careful 
to  avoid  a  continual  fault-finding.  His  idea  was  that 
rebukes  should  always  be  couched  in  soft  words,  but  forti- 
fied with  hard  arguments,  and  that,  to  make  censure  most 
effectual,  it  should  be  mixed  with  a  little  praise,  whenever 
it  was  possible  to  smuggle  it  in. 

Somebody  has  said  that,  "  when  a  fault  is  discovered, 
it  is  well  to  look  up  a  virtue  to  keep  it  company."  This 
was  Uncle  Benny's  view  of  things.  In  fact,  he  was  generally 
as  careful  to  express  approbation  of  good  behavior  as  dis- 
approbation of  that  which  was  bad.  He  believed  that  any 
one  could  do  a  casual  act  of  good-nature,  but  that  a  con- 
tinuation of  such  acts  showed  good-nature  to  be  a  part 
of  the  temperament,  and  that  even  a  temper  or  disposition 
which  was  naturally  sweet  and  equable  might  be  soured 
and  made  morose  and  petulant  by  incessant  fault-finding. 

Hence  he  never  was  guilty  of  a  regular  scolding,  but 
preferred  persuasion,  with  an  effort  to  convince  the  judg- 
ment by  argument,  and  illustrations  drawn  from  facts  so 
plain  that  they  could  not  be  denied.  His  practice  was 
thus  found  to  be  so  different  from  the  discipline  of  their 
father's  kitchen,  that  they  bore  any  amount  of  the  old  man's 
pleading  and  argumentation  without  ever  becoming  ruffled 
in  temper  or  tired  of  listening.  But  his  frequent  readings 
were  probably  the  most  popular  part  of  the  many  discourses 
he  felt  called   upon   to  deliver   to  them. 


158  FARMING    FOR   BOYS. 

When  this  last  one  was  finished,  they  all  got  down  from 
the  worm  fence  and  continued  their  way.  It  had  been 
an  eventful  afternoon  for  the  boys.  They  were  continually 
speaking  of  the  novelties  they  had  seen,  and  wondered  how 
it  happened  they  had  never  known  of  them  until  now, 
though  living  only  two  miles  away,  and  resolved  not  only 
to  go  again,  whenever  they  had  time,  but  to  get  Uncle 
Benny  to  take  them  to  some  other  farms  in  the  neighbor- 
hood, that  they  might  see  what  was  going  on  there  also. 
They  felt  that  they  had  learned  much  from  this  single  visit, 
and  presumed  that  visiting  in  a  wider  circle  would  be  equally 
instructive. 

Uncle  Benny  said,  in  reply  to  this,  that  he  was  glad  to 
see  they  were  thinking  so  sensibly,  and  to  find  that  their 
curiosity  had  been  sharpened.  He  would  gratify  it  as  far 
as  might  be  within  his  power.  He  told  them  the  way  to 
acquire  knowledge  was  to  go  in  search  of  it,  as  neither 
knowledge  nor  profit  came  to  a  man  except  as  the  result 
of  some  form  of  effort  to  obtain  it.  He  explained  to  them 
that  it  was  for  the  purpose  of  disseminating  knowledge 
among  farmers  that  agricultural  fairs  were  annually  held 
all  over  the  country.  They  had  never  attended  any,  but 
he  would  tell  them  that  they  were  great  gatherings  of 
farmers  and  others  who  had  something  to  exhibit  or  to 
sell.  Thousands  of  people  attended  these  fairs,  some  for 
amusement  only,  but  hundreds  came  to  see  if  any  new  or 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  1 59 

improved  machine  was  on  exhibition,  or  a  better  stock  of 
cows,  or  sheep,  or  pigs,  or  fowls,  or  a  fine  horse,  or  any 
superior  variety  of  fruit  or  vegetables.  If  they  saw  what 
pleased  them,  they  were  pretty  sure  to  buy  it.  At  any 
rate,  they  did  not  fail  to  learn  something  valuable,  even 
if  they  made  no  purchase.  They  saw,  gathered  up  in  a  small 
compass,  what  was  going  on  in  the  farmer's  world,  and  this 
within  a  single  day  or  two.  Thus  they  accumulated  a  fund 
of  knowledge  which  they  could  not  have  acquired  had  they 
remained  at  home. 

On  the  other  hand,  these  county  fairs  were  quite  as  ad- 
vantageous to  the  parties  who  thus  brought  their  machines, 
or  stock,  or  vegetables  to  be  exhibited.  Many  of  them 
manufactured  the  machines  to  sell,  and  so  brought  them 
where  they  knew  there  would  be  a  crowd  of  farmers  in 
attendance.  It  was  just  so  with  other  articles  exhibited. 
There  were  customers  for  everything  on  the  ground.  Even 
those  who  came  to  make  sales  were  benefited  in  other  ways. 
They  made  new  and  profitable  acquaintances.  This  gave 
them  a  knowledge  of  men  which  they  could  not  have  acquired 
had  they  not  gone  to  the  fair  in  search  of  it.  Thus  there 
was  an  extensive  interchange  of  information  and  ideas 
between  man  and  man,  for  no  one  could  be  expected  to 
know  everything.  Hence  such  gatherings  as  these  county 
fairs  were  highly  beneficial  to  the  farming  and  manufactur- 
ing community ;  and  it  might  be  set  down  as  a  good  rule, 


i6o 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 


that  a  farmer  who  felt  so  little  interest  in  his  business  as 
never  to  attend  an  agricultural  fair  would  commonly  be 
found  far  in  the  background  as  regarded  progress  and  im- 
provement. 

"  Could  n't  you  take  us  to  a  fair,  Uncle  Benny .? "  inquired 
Tony. 

"  Certainly,"  replied  the  old  man,  "  if  we  can  get  per- 
mission." 

"  And  won't  we  take  Nancy  and  the  pigs  ? "  demanded 
Bill. 

"Yes,"  interrupted  Tony;  "somebody  will  buy  them  and 
give  a  good  price." 

"  Sell  Nancy .? "  demanded  Bill,  with  a  fire  unusual  to 
him.      "You  sha'n't  do  it.      I  won't  have  Nancy  sold." 

"  Well,  never  mind  Nancy,"  responded  Tony,  "  we  '11  take 
the  pigs  and  the  pigeons." 

"  Not  all  of  them,  anyhow,"  replied  Bill,  almost  beginning 
to  cry  at  the  mere  mention  of  letting  Nancy  go,  while  the 
dispute  went  on  in  so  animated  a  style  as  to  fairly  startle 
the  old  man. 

"  Stop,  boys,"  he  interposed.  "  There  is  time  enough  for 
all  this.  There  is  no  hurry  about  the  matter.  The  fair 
will  not  be  held  for  several  months  yet,  and  you  don't  know 
whether  Mr.  Spangler  will  let  us  go.  Wait  a  little  longer, 
and  I  will  settle  this  thing  for  you." 

The  mere  suggestion  of  their  not  being  permitted  to  go 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  l6l 

to  the  fair  was  an  effectual  check  to  this  unusual  efferves- 
cence, and  the  whole  party  relapsed  into  silence.  But  from 
this  they  were  presently  roused  by  the  near  approach  of  a 
traveller,  whom  they  had  noticed  for  some  time  in  the  road 
before  them.  No  one  appeared  to  recognize  him  ;  but  when 
he  came  within  hailing  distance  of  the  company  he  took 
off  an  old  cap,  waved  it  over  his  head,  and  shouted, 
"  Hurrah  !    Uncle  Benny  !      Back  again  to   Jersey  ! " 

The  party  were  taken  by  surprise,  but  when  the  speaker 
came  close  up  to  them  they  saw  who  he  was. 

"  Why,  that  's  Frank  Smith,  sure  enough  !  I  did  n*t 
know  him,"  exclaimed  Joe  Spangler ;  and  then  there  was 
a  crowding  up  to  him  and  a  general  recognition  and  shak- 
ing  of  hands. 

"  Why,  Frank,"  said  Uncle  Benny,  "  we  're  glad  to  see 
you.  Did  you  say  you  'd  come  back  to  Jersey }  But 
what 's  the   matter .''     What 's  brought  you  back  .? " 

"  Got  enough  of  New  York,  —  sick  of  the  dirty  place, 
and  never  want  to  see  it  again,"  he  replied.  "  Put  me  among 
the  Aliens  once  more,  and  blame  me  if  you  ever  catch  me 
quitting  the  farm  as  long  as  /  live.  I  'm  pretty  near  to  it 
now.  How  nice  it  looks!  Tony,  don't  you  ever  think 
of  going  to  New  York." 

Here  was  a  most  unexpected  conclusion  to  their  after- 
noon's diversion.  The  boy  before  them,  Frank  Smith,  was 
a  lad  of  fifteen,  an  active,  intelligent,  ambitious  fellow,  an 
II 


l62  FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 

orphan  nephew  of  Mr.  Allen,  who  had  been  taken  by  his 
uncle,  when  only  ten  years  old,  to  be  brought  up  as  a  farmer. 
He  had  been  clothed  and  educated  as  his  cousins,  but  for 
two  or  three  years  his  mind  had  been  bent  on  trying  his 
fortune  in  the  great  city.  No  persuasion  could  wean  him 
from  his  darling  project,  and  becoming  restless  and  dispirited 
under  what  he  considered  the  monotonous  routine  of  the 
farm,  Mr.  Allen  finally  yielded  to  his  importunities,  and 
permitted  him,  the  Christmas  previous,  to  try  for  himself 
bow  much  better  he  could  succeed  in  New  York.  He  fitted 
him  out  respectably,  paid  his  fare  on  the  railroad,  and  gave 
him  a  little  purse  of  money  with  which  to  keep  him  clear 
of  actual  sufiering  until  some  profitable  employment  should 
offer.  Thus  equipped,  he  plunged  into  the  great  city,  having 
learned  no  trade  but  that  of  farming,  with  only  a  general 
idea  of  what  he  was  to  do,  and  without  a  solitary  acquaint- 
ance among  the  thousands  who  were  already  fighting  the 
battle  of  life  within  its  densely  crowded  thoroughfares. 

He  had  been  gone  for  months  ;  but  in  all  that  time  he 
had  written  but  one  or  two  letters  home,  and  they  said 
nothing  that  was  encouraging,  though  they  contained  no 
complaints.  The  last  one  did  say,  however,  that  he  would  n't 
mind  being  back  on  the  farm.  It  was  clear,  thought  Mr. 
Allen,  that  he  had  been  disappointed,  and  was  not  doing 
much.  But  as  Frank  had  been  told,  when  leaving  home, 
that  he  was  welcome  to  return  whenever   he   had   enough 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  1 63 

of  the  city,  no  pressing  invitation  was  sent,  in  reply,  for 
him  to  come  back.  It  was  thought  best  to  let  him  sow 
all  his  wild  oats  at  once.  His  pride  being  strong,  he  could 
not  bring  himself  to  the  mortifying  position  of  admitting, 
by  turning  about  and  coming  home,  that  he  had  committed 
a  grave  mistake,  until  driven  to  it  by  absolute  suffering. 
So  he  held  out  until  holding  out  longer  became  dangerous, 
and  there  he  stood  in  the  highway,  like  a  prodigal  son 
returning  to  the  parental  household. 

He  went  away  with  new  clothes,  clean  linen,  and  a  robust 
frame.  He  was  now  shabby,  dirty,  ragged,  and  his  features 
indicated  slender  rations  of  food.  It  was  this  changed 
appearance  that  prevented  the  boys  from  recognizing  their 
old  friend  until  he  was  close  upon  them.  He  had  travelled 
all  the  way  from  New  York  on  foot,  yet  his  step  grew  lighter 
and  more  elastic  the  nearer  he  came  to  his  old  home.  Of 
course  there  was  a  world  of  questions  as  to  how  he  liked 
New  York,  what  he  had  been  doing  there,  whether  he  made 
any  money,  why  he  came  back,  and  every  other  conceivable 
topic  of  inquiry  that  could  suddenly  occur  to  the  minds 
of  three  raw  country  boys. 

Frank  was  in  no  hurry  to  leave  his  friends  for  home, 
as  it  was  now  in  sight,  and  he  felt  himself  already  there. 
Neither  did  he  seem  at  all  unwilling  to  give  them  as  much 
as  he  then  could  of  his  adventures  in  the  city,  and  so  replied 
to  their  numerous  inquiries  as  fully  as  he  was  able  to.     He 


164  FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 

was  a  frank,  open-hearted  fellow,  without  a  particle  of  false 
pride  about  him,  and  so  admitted  from  the  beginning  that 
he  had  made  the  greatest  mistake  of  his  life  in  insisting 
upon  leaving  the  farm.  He  even  called  himself  a  great 
fool  for  having  done  so.  But  after  all,  he  thought  it  might 
be  a  good  thing  that  he  had  made  the  trial,  as  it  taught 
him  many  things  that  he  never  would  have  believed  possible 
unless  he  had  gone  through  them  for  himself,  and  was  a 
lesson  that  would  be  useful  to  him  as  long  as  he  lived. 

Though  in  reality  he  had  but  little  to  tell  that  would 
interest  older  folks,  yet  to  the  boys  his  story  was  partic- 
ularly attractive.  Going  into  a  great  city  with  no  friends, 
but  little  money,  and  without  a  trade,  he  could  find  nothing 
but  chance  jobs  to  do.  The  merchants  and  shopkeepers 
refused  to  employ  him,  because  he  was  a  stranger,  with 
none  to  recommend  him  for  honesty.  When  they  found 
he  was  fresh  from  a  farm,  some  said  at  once  he  was  not 
the  boy  for  them,  —  they  wanted  one  who  knew  something. 
Others  advised  him  to  go  home  as  quickly  as  he  could, 
but  not  one  offered  to  help  him.  He  occasionally  picked 
up  a  shilling  by  working  along  the  wharves,  but  it  was 
among  a  low,  vicious,  and  profane  set  of  men  and  boys, 
with  whom  it  was  very  hard  for  him  to  be  compelled  to 
associate.  Then  he  tried  being  a  newsboy,  bought  papers 
at  the  printing-offices  and  sold  them  about  the  streets  and 
hotels,   and   other  public   places.      But    here   he   met   with 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  1 65 

SO  many  rebuffs,  and  was  so  often  caught  with  a  pile  of 
unsold  papers  on  his  hands,  that  he  found  the  business 
paid  him  no  certain  profit.  The  city  boys  seemed  sharper 
and  quicker,  and  invariably  did  better,  some  of  them  even 
saving  money,  and  helping  to  support  their  aged  or  sick 
parents. 

He  went  through  a  variety  of  other  experiences  that  were 
very  trying  to  a  boy  of  his  spirit,  but,  though  exerting  himself 
to  the  utmost,  he  made  no  encouraging  headway.  One  of  his 
greatest  trials  was  being  compelled  to  associate  with  a  low, 
swearing,  drinking  class  of  people,  and  to  live  in  mean  and 
comfortless  boarding-houses  because  they  were  cheap.  He 
never  had  a  dollar  to  spare  or  to  lay  up.  It  required  all  he 
could  make  to  keep  him  alive.  As  his  clothes  became  worn 
and  ragged,  he  was  not  able  to  obtain  better  ones.  Still  he 
was  too  proud  to  write  home  what  he  was  undergoing,  as  he 
knew  he  had  brought  it  on  himself,  and  that  it  was  exactly 
what  his  uncle  had  said  would  be  likely  to  overtake  him.  Yet 
he  was  conscious  of  gradually  becoming  reconciled  to  the  low 
and  immoral  set  around  him,  so  different  from  those  among 
whom  he  had  been  brought  up. 

One  day,  when  in  company  with  some  of  his  associates, 
newsboys  and  boot-blacks,  Frank  saw  a  gentleman  drop  his 
pocket-book  on  the  pavement.  He  ran  instantly  and  picked 
it  up,  and  was  about  following  the  loser  to  restore  it  to  him, 
when  his  comrades  stopped  him,  telling  him  he  should  do  no 


i66 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 


such  thing,  —  that  they  had  a  share  in  it,  as  they  were  with 
him,  and   he  must  divide  the  money  with  them.     The  bare; 


idea  of  steaUng  had  never  before  crossed  Frank's  mind ;  but 
now  that  it  was  suggested,  with  the  property  of  another  actu- 
ally in  his  hands,  which  he  could  appropriate  without  fear  of 
discovery,  he  felt  the  temptation  to  steal  it  come  over  his 
thoughts.  But  it  was  only  for  a  moment.  The  early  teach- 
ings of  a  virtuous  home  were  not  to  be  thus  suddenly  forgot- 
ten.    Breaking  away  from  his  dishonest  companions,  he  ran 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  1 6/ 

after  the  gentleman  and  restored  him  the  pocket-book,  and 
was  soundly  abused  by  the  others  for  doing  so. 

But  Frank  was  so  thoroughly  alarmed  by  feeling  that  he 
had  thus  been  tempted  to  become  a  thief,  and  so  fearful  that, 
if  he  continued  to  associate  with  thieves  he  would  soon  be- 
come one,  that  he  resolved  not  to  stay  another  day  in  New 
York.  Even  if  he  had  had  a  hard  time  there,  his  integrity 
was  yet  sound,  his  conscience  clear,  and  he  meant  to  keep  it 
so.  As  he  owned  nothing  but  the  old  clothes  in  which  he 
stood,  it  was  an  easy  matter  to  leave  the  city ;  so  the  next 
morning  he  started  for  home,  with  a  few  crackers  in  one  pock- 
et and  a  huge  sausage  in  the  other,  but  with  the  light  heart 
of  youth,  made  lighter  still  by  the  consciousness  that  strength 
had  been  mercifully  given  him  to  overcome  a  strong  tempta- 
tion. It  was  a  two  days'  tramp  even  for  his  active  limbs,  but 
he  went  on  joyously,  and  was  never  in  better  spirits  than 
when  he  encountered  the  Spangler  party  in  the  road. 

"  But  would  n't  you  have  got  rich  if  you  had  stayed  lon- 
ger } "  inquired  Tony.  "  A  great  many  poor  boys  in  New 
York  have  become  rich  men." 

"  I  don't  believe  it,  Tony  King,"  replied  Frank.  "  Where 
there  's  one  who  gets  rich,  there  are  twenty  that  go  to  the 
dogs,  —  that  get  drunk,  or  lie  and  steal,  or  sleep  in  boxes  and 
hogsheads  in  the  streets,  and  turn  out  vagabonds.  I  thought 
just  as  you  think,  that  all  the  poor  boys  make  money,  and 
would  n't  believe  my  uncle  when  he  told  me  that  life  in  the 


i68 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 


city  was  the  worst  lottery  in  the  world.  But  I  Ve  found  it 
just  as  he  said,  only  enough  worse.  Now,  Tony,  you  want  to 
go  to  the  city,  I  know  you  do :  you  and  I  talked  it  over  be- 
fore I  went,  and  you  want  to  go  now.  But  if  you  don't  stay 
where  you  are,  you  're  a  bigger  fool  than  I  was.  You  '11  never 
catch  me  again  leaving  the  farm  to  cry  newspapers  and 
black  boots  in  the  streets.  I  'm  made  for  something  better 
than  that." 

With  this  sensible  admonition  Frank  bade  his  friends 
good  by,  and  started  off  on  a  half-run  for  his  uncle's  house, 
as  if  impatient  for  the  surprise  which  he  knew  his  sudden 
appearance  would  occasion  among  the  family.  Uncle  Benny 
was  not  sorry  that  his  three  boys  had  received  the  full 
benefit  of  Frank's  experience  of  city  life,  nor  could  he 
regret  the  tattered  dress  in  which  he  had  presented  him- 
self before  them,  as,  if  it  were  possible  for  eloquence  to  be 
found  in  rags,  every  one  that  hung  about  him  became  a 
persuasive  witness  to  the  truth  of  the  experience  he  had 
related. 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  1 69 


CHAPTER    XI. 

Mismanaging  a  Horse.  —  Value  of  an  Inch   of   Rain.  —  Planting  a 
Tree.  —  Value   of   sharp   Hoes.  —  A   Tree-Pedler.  —  How  Plants 

GROW. 

/^~\NE  of  the  striking  results  of  the  boys*  visit  to  their 
^^  neighbor's  model  farm  was  the  change  of  conversation 
in  the  Spangler  family.  When  they  came  in  to  their  meals, 
they  talked  continually  of  what  they  had  seen  there,  and 
when  out  at  work  there  was  no  end  to  the  references  to  what 
had  somehow  become  a  sort  of  standard  for  their  imitation. 
Uncle  Benny  was  therefore  careful  to  encourage  all  the  good 
resolutions  which  his  pupils  seemed  insensibly  to  be  making, 
as  well  as  to  answer  the  crowd  of  new  questions  that  were 
put  to  him  at  every  turn.  The  boys  could  not  help  making 
comparisons  between  the  general  neatness  of  the  Allen  farm 
and  the  squalid  condition  of  their  own  ;  and  they  were  not 
slow  in  endeavoring  to  copy  their  neighbors,  though  their 
opportunities  for  doing  so  were  not  very  great. 

Farmer  Spangler  was  of  necessity  obliged  to  listen  to 
numerous  discussions,  in  which  his  neighbor's  superior 
management  was  so  highly  extolled  and  his  own  so  much 
condemned.  Luckily  for  all,  Spangler  was  a  man  of  few 
words,  and  hence  was  a  capital  listener.  He  very  seldom 
replied  to  any  attack  on  his  management,  —  as  much  because 


170  FARMING   FOR  BOYS. 

of  his  habitual  taciturnity  as  from  a  conviction  that  was 
insensibly  taking  possession  of  him,  that  there  must  be  some 
truth  in  what  was  said.  Generally,  Uncle  Benny  was  quite 
moderate  in  his  depreciation  of  Spangler's  style  of  farming, 
as  he  was  unwilUng  to  give  offence.  But  there  were  occa- 
sions, such  as  when  he  witnessed  some  gross  departure  from 
good  management,  or  some  example  that  would  be  really 
injurious  to  the  boys,  and  then  he  would  explain  himself  for 
Spangler's  especial  benefit.  But  even  then  he  talked  at 
Spangler  over  the  boys*  shoulders  ;  that  is,  though  he  ad- 
dressed his  words  to  them,  he  was  really  intending  them  for 
the  father.  In  this  way  he  could  drop  hints  in  much  sharper 
language  than  if  he  had  spoken  to  the  man  himself  Span- 
gler took  no  offence  at  these  side  thrusts,  and  rarely  made 
any  reply. 

On  one  occasion,  when  the  latter  was  putting  a  young  and 
skittish  horse  to  the  wagon,  he  threw  the  harness  suddenly 
and  with  great  violence  on  its  back,  instead  of  gently  placing 
it  there.  The  timid  creature,  not  yet  accustomed  to  being 
harnessed,  shrunk  back  and  became  quite  unmanageable,  and 
ended  by  treading  on  the  wagon-shaft,  which  he  broke  in 
two.  Seeing  this,  Spangler  became  enraged,  and  gave  the 
horse  a  violent  kick  in  the  side.  Uncle  Benny  and  the  boys 
were  standing  by,  and  saw  it  all. 

"That  will  never  do,"  said  the  old  man,  addressing  the 
boys,   but   loud    enough   for   Spangler   to   hear.     "  A   horse 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 


l/j 


should  never  be  kicked,  or  even  punished.  It  is  gentle  treat- 
ment alone  that  makes  a  horse  valuable,  and  cruel  treatment 
makes  him  worthless.  We  Americans  abuse  our  horses 
more  unfeelingly  than  any  other  people,  and  control  them 


through  fear  of  us  instead  of  love  for  us.  Even  the  un- 
christianized  Arabs  never  abuse  their  horses,  nor  do  the 
Chinese  ever  punish  theirs.  *  As  obstinate  as  a  mule,'  is  a 
common  expression  ;  but  a  mule  is  not  naturally  obstinate, 
but  is  made   so  by  being  educated  to  bad  treatment.     The 


1/2  FARMING   FOR  BOYS. 

mule,  which,  in  the  hands  of  most  Americans,  would  be  not 
only  useless,  but  dangerous  to  all  who  came  near  him,  would, 
in  the  hands  of  a  Chinaman,  become  quiet  as  a  lamb  and 
tractable  as  a  dog.  A  vicious,  jibing,  or  runaway  mule  is 
almost  unknown  among  the  Chinese,  because  of  the  uniform 
gentleness  with  which  they  treat  them.  They  educate  all 
other  domestic  animals  by  the  same  rule,  securing  obedience 
through  the  agency  of  love  instead  of  fear.  Cattle,  pigs, 
ducks,  and  birds  are  equally  cared  for.  These  dumb  beasts 
have  sensibilities  and  affections  as  well  as  ourselves.  Never 
let  me  see  a  horse  kicked  by  any  of  you.  A  hired  man  who 
should  kick  my  horse,  or  beat  him  with  a  shovel,  as  is  often 
done,  should  be  turned  off  immediately." 

"  That  must  be  the  reason  why  our  Nancy  and  the  pigs 
like  me  so  well,"  added  Bill  Spangler  when  the  old  man  had 
concluded.  "  I  curry  them  up,  and  never  scold  them,  and 
they  come  to  me  just  like  a  dog." 

"  Yes,"  replied  Uncle  Benny,  "  the  law  of  kindness  operates 
as  strongly  on  the  brute  creation  as  it  does  on  human  hearts. 
The  man  who  is  truly  merciful  will  always  be  merciful  to  the 
dumb,  dependent  creatures  around  him." 

This  accident  to  the  wagon-shaft  delayed  Spangler  a  whole 
hour  in  starting  for  Trenton,  because,  as  he  had  but  one 
wagon,  the  damage  must  in  some  way  be  repaired.  It  was 
so  broken  that  nailing  would  not  answer ;  so  they  tied  the 
shaft   round  with  a  small  horse-blanket,  and  kept  that  in  its 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  1/3 

place  by  ropes  and  straps,  and  with  this  unsightly  contriv- 
ance Spangler  drove  off  for  Trenton.  There  was  no  real 
necessity  for  his  going,  even  before  the  breakdown  ;  but  then 
there  was  to  be  a  vendue,  or  auction  sale,  of  household  goods 
and  farming  utensils,  and  though  he  had  no  occasion  to  pur- 
chase any  of  them,  yet  he  thought  it  would  be  well  for  him  to 
be  there,  "just  to  see  how  they  sold."  There  are  some 
people  in  this  world  who  have  a  passion  for  attending  funer- 
als, and  one  of  Spangler's  fancies  was  for  attending  vendues, 
no  matter  how  much  home  business  he  might  neglect  by 
going. 

All  this  happened  just  after  dinner,  in  the  month  of  June, 
when  there  were  strong  indications  of  a  thunder-gust.  But 
off  Spangler  went,  and,  as  Uncle  Benny  had  expected,  the 
gust  broke  upon  him  while  he  was  on  the  road,  and  gave 
him  a  complete  drenching.  Of  course  it  drove  all  hands  into 
their  usual  refuge,  —  the  barn  ;  and  there  they  sat  while  the 
rain  poured  down  in  torrents.  It  was  the  first  good  rain 
there  had  been  for  two  weeks,  and  was  much  wanted  by 
the  farming  community.  It  poured  down  so  heavily,  and 
continued  so  long,  that  Uncle  Benny  observed,  "  There  must 
be  at  least  an  inch  of  this  rain." 

"  What  is  an  inch  of  rain  ? "  inquired  Joe  Spangler,  looking 
through  a  knot-hole  in  the  side  of  the  barn,  over  a  great 
pond  that  had  been  suddenly  filled  by'  the  shower.  "  I 
should  say  it  was  a  foot." 


174  FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 

"  Well,  boys,"  replied  the  old  man,  "  an  inch  of  rain  don't 
mean  the  water  that  is  collected  in  puddles  where  the  ground 
happens  to  be  full  of  holes,  but  that  which  falls  on  a  level  all 
over  the  land.  Now,  when  this  shower  is  over,  look  into  the 
bucket  out  by  the  pump,  —  I  remember  it  was  empty  when 
the  rain  began,  —  and  whatever  depth  of  water  you  may  find 
in  it  will  be  the  extent  of  the  rain-fall.  This. is  what  we  call 
a  rain-gauge  ;  and  it  is  by  having  so  simple  a  contrivance  at 
all  times  in  use  that  observing  men,  who  watch  the  clouds 
and  the  weather,  have  been  able  to  prove  that  about  as  much 
rain  falls  in  one  year  as  in  another.  Thus,  if  we  have  long 
spells  of  dry  w.eather,  they  are  succeeded  by  heavy  rains, 
and  thus  very  extraordinary  rains  are  followed  by  long  dry 
spells,  making  the  rain-fall  of  many  years  average  about  the 
same." 

"  But  an  inch  of  rain  don't  sound  much,  though  it  looks  to 
be  a  great  deal,"  exclaimed  Tony  King. 

"  Why,  Tony,"  replied  Uncle  Benny,  "  ai)  inch  of  rain 
weighs  more  than  a  hundred  tons  to  the  acre,  and  is  equal  to 
nearly  twenty- three  thousand  gallons.  A  watering-pot  must 
have  a  big  nozzle  to  discharge  that  quantity  in  an  hour,  as 
the  clouds  often  do  for  us.  This  rain  will  be  worth  a  great 
many  thousands  of  dollars  to  the  farmers  about  here,  es- 
pecially if  it  should  be  followed  by  really  fine  weather. 

"  Fine  weather,"  he  continued,  "  is  a  wonderful  thing  for 
the    farmer !  —  next    among   his    blessings    to   the    Divine 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  175 

promise  that  seed-time  and  harvest  should  never  fail.  A 
single  day  of  sunshine  is  considered  worth  ten  millions  of 
dollars  to  the  farming  interest  of  England  in  a  season 
of  doubtful  harvests.  There  is  said,  in  Europe  at  least,  to 
be  more  war  in  a  day's  rain  than  in  the  ill-temper  of  the 
most  quarrelsome  monarch,  and  more  peace  in  a  morning's 
sunshine  than  even  in  a  treaty  of  commerce  ;  because  people, 
having  their  time  occupied  and  their  stomachs  full,  have 
neither  leisure  nor  disposition  to  quarrel." 

"  What  can  be  the  use  of  so  much  rain,  Uncle  Benny  ? " 
"  Use  ? "  returned  the  old  man  ;  "  it  has  a  thousand  uses. 
Water  is  the  great  nourishment  and  stimulant  of  vegetation. 
Some  plants  will  seem  to  live  on  water  alone,  neither  need- 
ing nor  receiving  manure  beyond  what  nature  enables  them 
to  gather  from  the  water  below  and  the  air  above.  Take 
one  of  your  corn-hills  as  an  illustration.  The  cornstalk 
stands  exactly  where  it  grew.  It  spreads  its  roots  all  around, 
but  does  not  .change  its  place.  As  it  cannot  travel  about 
in  search  of  food,  such  as  it  may  need  must  therefore  be 
brought  to  it.  Who  is  to  do  this }  Not  you,  because  you 
supposed  you  had  done  all  that  was  necessary  when  you 
planted  the  grain.  It  is  water,  the  rain-water,  that  performs 
this  important  office  of  bringing  to  the  plant  the  food  which 
has  been  deposited  in  the  soil.  A  mere  sprinkle  will  not  do 
this  ;  it  must  be  just  such  a  soaking  shower  as  we  are  now 
having.      Besides,   water   dissolves    many   substances   which 


176  FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 

exist  in  the  air  as  food  for  plants,  —  so  graciously  has 
Heaven  provided,  —  and  then,  when  these  are  brought 
into  the  soil  by  rains,  they  there  come  in  contact  with 
another  set  of  substances  which  the  plants  require  also,  and 
the  whole  being  thus  combined  and  liquefied  with  water, 
they  constitute  the  very  food  by  which  vegetation  lives  and 
grows.  The  water,  thus  saturated  with  vegetable  food, 
travels  along  under  ground,  feeding  the  plants  which  Provi- 
dence requires  to  remain  stationary.  This  is  one  of  the 
great  uses  of  so  much  rain." 

The  next  morning  being  bright  and  sunny,  the  old  man 
piloted  the  boys  into  the  two-acre  cornfield  they  had  planted. 
On  the  way  thither  they  passed  under  a  fine  Mayduke  cher- 
ry-tree, then  loaded  with  delicious  fruit.  The  rain  and 
wind  had  shaken  off  quantities  of  cherries,  which  lay  upon 
the  ground.  These  the  boys  stopped  to  gather  and  eat, 
spitting  out  the  stones  in  every  direction.  Noticing  their 
actions.  Uncle  Benny  spoke  up :  "  Boys,  when  I  was  in 
Spain,  I  learned  a  proverb  which  has  been  in  use  in  that 
country  for  centuries,  — '  He  who  plants  trees  loves  others 
beside  himself  It  means,  that,  as  it  takes  nearly  a  lifetime 
for  many  trees  to  grow  and  produce  fruit,  the  chance  is  that 
he  who  plants  the  tree  will  hardly  live  long  enough  to  eat 
the  product,  and  that  he  must  therefore  love  those  who  are 
to  come  after  him,  or  he  would  not  plant  trees  qf  whose 
fruits  they  are  more  likely  to  partake  than  he.     Now,  when- 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  1 7/ 

ever  a  Spaniard  eats  a  peach,  a  cherry,  or  a  pear  by  the 
roadside,  he  works  out  a  Httle  hole  in  the  ground  with  his 
foot,  and  plants  the  stone ;  he  thinks  of  those  who  are  to 
come  after  him,  —  he  loves  others  beside  himself.  It  is  a 
thank-offering  to  the  memory  of  the  kind  soul  by  whom  the 
tree  was  planted  from  which  he  has  just  eaten.  Hence  the 
roadsides  throughout  that  beautiful  country  are  lined  with 
abundance  of  the  most  tempting  fruits,  all  free  to  every  one. 
Boys,  not  one  of  you  has  ever  planted  a  tree.  It  is  time  for 
you  to  begin.  I  shall  never  live  to  gather  the  fruit,  but 
all  of  you  may  be  spared  to  do  so.  It  is  our  duty  to  leave 
the  world  as  good  at  least  as  we  found  it,  —  better  if  we  can. 
I  have  no  good  opinion  of  the  fellow  who  is  content  to  snore 
under  the  shadow  of  a  noble  shade-tree  without  planting 
another  for  the  next  generation  to  enjoy,  or  to  eat  the  fruit 
from  trees  which  others  have  planted,  without  at  some  time 
imitating  their  example.  The  sooner  one  sows,  the  sooner 
will  he  reap.  There,  boys,  right  along  the  fence,  two  or 
three  for  each  of  you." 

Each  boy  struck  his  heel  into  the  soft  ground,  made  a 
slight  hole,  dropped  into  it  a  couple  of  cherry-stones,  cov- 
ered them  over,  and  pressed  down  the  earth  with  his  foot. 
It  was  certainly  a  very  small  affair,  but  it  was  nevertheless 
something  for  the  boys.  Each  one  could  not  help  feel- 
ing that  he  had  done  a  good  deed,  for  he  had  planted  a 
tree. 

12 


178  FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 

"  O/'  exclaimed  the  old  man,  "  what  a  country  this  would 
be  if  every  owner  of  a  farm  would  go  and  do  likewise  !  The 
roadsides  would  everywhere  be  lined  with  noble  trees,  glo- 
rious to  look  upon,  grateful  in  their  shadiness,  and  affording 
bountiful  harvests  of  delightful  fruit,  free  to  the  passing 
traveller,  and  yielding  a  profusion  even  to  the  birds. "  There 
would  be  plenty  of  fruit  for  all  Even  the  thieves  who  now 
prey  upon  the  fruit-grower  would  have  no  further  induce- 
ment to  steal." 

Finding  the  ground  too  wet  for  hoeing,  they  deferred 
that  operation  for  a  week,  when  Tony  ran  twice  over 
the  cornfield  with  the  cultivator,  to  mellow  up  the  ground 
and  cut  off  the  weeds.  Then  all  hands  turned  in  with 
hoes  to  clean  up  the  rows  and  give  the  corn  its  first  hilling. 
Before  undertaking  this.  Uncle  Benny  had  brought  a  large 
file  from  his  tool-chest,  with  which  he  had  sharpened  up 
the  boys'  hoes  to  such  an  edge  as  had  never  before  been 
seen  on  Spangler's  farm.  The  hoes  were  great,  clumsy 
things,  unfit  for  the  hands  of  a  small  boy ;  but  they  shaved 
off  the  weeds  with  so  much  ease  that  the  excessive  weight 
of  the  tool  was  forgotten  in  the  sharpness  of  the  edge  In- 
stead of  two  or  three  chops  being  required  to  cut  up  a 
stout  weed,  a  single  clip  went  clean  through  it.  There 
could  be  no  doubt  that  the  trifling  work  of  filing  enabled 
the  boys  to  get  over  two  or  three  times  as  much  ground 
as  if  they  had  been  working  with  dull  hoes.     There  was  a 


FARMING   FOR    BOYS.  1/9 

real  economy  of  time  in  thus  beginning  right,  besides  com- 
fort, and  a  thorough  execution  done  upon  the  weeds. 

The  whole  party  worked  together,  each  taking  a  row. 
Uncle  Benny,  having  an  old  back,  which  he  knew  wo'uld 
very  soon  begin  to  ache  if  he  should  stoop  much,  had  pro- 
vided himself  with  a  long-handled  hoe.  This  enabling  him 
to  work  without  stooping,  he  flourished  it  about  among  the 
weeds  so  actively  as  to  surprise  the  boys,  who  observed,  more- 
over, that  the  old  man  contrived  somehow  to  keep  a  little 
ahead  of  them  all.  Between  the  sharp  hoes  and  the  full 
force  of  hoers,  the  weeds  had  a  poor  chance  of  surviving 
that  day. 

Presently  the  youngest  boy.  Bill,  while  chopping  vigor- 
ously at  a  thistle,  struck  his  hoe  violently  against  a  stone. 
He  was  about  repeating  the  blow,  when  the  old  man  called 
out  to  him  to  stop  and  examine  his  hoe.  Bill  did  so,  and 
found  a  great  indentation  had  been  made  in  the  edge.  The 
other  boys  of  course  came  round  to  see  what  was  the  matter, 
and  they  too  saw  how  the  keen  edge  of  the  tool  had  been 
turned  by  the  blow  against  the  stone. 

"  Now,  Bill,"  said  Uncle  Benny,  "  pick  up  the  stone,  put 
it  in  your  pocket,  and  when  you  get  to  the  end  of  the  row 
we  '11  put  it  under  the  fence,  where  you  may  be  sure  it 
will  not  be  likely  to  dull  your  hoe  a  second  time.  All  of 
you  must  do  the  same  with  the  stones  or  broken  bricks  or 
oyster-shells  you  meet  with,  as   I  won't  have  anvthing  on 


I  So  FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 

this  ground  big  enough  to  dull  a  hoe.  If  you  calculate  on 
having  sharp  tools,  you  must  keep  the  ground  clear." 

Such  careful  management  was  new  to  the  boys,  but  they 
had  equally  been  strangers  to  the  luxury  of  a  sharp  hoe. 
Dull  hoes,  and  plenty  of  brickbats  to  strike  against,  were 
regular  incidents  of  their  early  agricultural  education,  and 
they  now  thought  this  new  lesson  of  Uncle  Benny  was 
one  of  the  queerest  he  had  taught  them.  But  they  soon 
discovered  there  was  something  to  be  gained,  for,  on  coming 
out  at  the  end  of  his  row,  each  boy  found  that  he  had  three 
or  four  shells  or  stones  in  his  pocket,  all  which  were  care- 
fully placed  under  the  bottom  rail  of  the  fence. 

As  all  farm  laborers  have  an  hour  allowed  them  for  din- 
ner, there  was  time,  after  that  meal,  for  Uncle  Benny  to 
sharpen  their  hoes  again.  The  morning's  experience  had 
made  each  boy  a  full  convert  to  the  new  doctrine.  Indeed, 
as  they  were  taking  up  the  line  of  march  for  the  cornfield, 
for  the  afternoon's  work,  Tony  inquired  of  the  old  man  if 
it  would  n't  be  a  good  thing  to  put  the  file  in  his  pocket 
and  bring  it  along ;  —  the  hoes  might  want  sharpening 
again  before  night.  During  the  afternoon's  work  there 
was  a  good  deal  of  slashing  among  the  stones,  and  an  oc- 
casional demand  for  the  file  to  retouch  the  hoes,  which 
quite  pleased  the  old  man. 

Well,  after  worrying  through  some  rows  that  were  much 
fouler   than   the   others,   the   parties  drew  up  to  the  fence, 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  l8l 

and  Uncle  Benny  proceeded  to  file  up  the  hoes  for  the 
second  time  that  afternoon.  He  could  see  no  actual  ne- 
cessity for  doing  so,  but  thought  it  could  do  no  harm  to 
gratify  the  boys.  While  thus  engaged,  with  his  hoe  rest- 
ing on  the  fence,  which  ran  along  the  public  road,  a 
stranger  stepped  up,  and  inquired  if  he  would  like  to  buy 
some  trees  or  grape-vines.  At  the  same  moment  he  opened 
a  large  book  which  he  carried  in  his  hand,  and,  resting  it 
on  the  top  rail  of  the  fence,  displayed  a  highly  colored 
picture  of  a  bunch  of  grapes,  larger  and  finer  in  appearance 
than  had  ever  been  seen  by  any  of  the  party.  They  all 
gathered  round  the  book,  as  the  man  ran  over  the  leaves 
with  just  enough  deliberation  to  afford  a  full  view  of  the 
magnificent  specimens  it  contained.  There  were  great 
bunches  of  peaches,  apples,  plums,  cherries,  currants,  and 
other  fruits,  colored  up  and  set  off  in  just  such  a  style  as 
would  be  likely  to  tempt  every  one  who  examined  them 
to  become  a  purchaser. 

Uncle  Benny  took  the  book  in  his  hand,  and  made  a 
long  examination,  during  which  the  stranger  was  very  lav- 
ish of  his  praise  of  each  specimen  as  it  fell  under  the  old 
man's  eye.  Then  addressing  the  stranger,  he  inquired, 
"  Did  you  raise  all  these  trees  } " 

"  O  no,"  was  the  reply,  "  my  business  is  to  sell  them." 

"  Where  were  they  grown .? "  inquired  Uncle  Benny. 

"Well,  a  good  way  off,"  answered  the  stranger. 


1 82  FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 

"  But  don't  you  tell  us  where  they  were  cultivated,  and 
who  is  the  nurseryman  ? "  continued  Uncle  Benny. 

"  Well,  not  often,"  was  the  answer. 

"No,"  rejoined  the  shrewd  old  man;  "I  don't  think  we 
want  to  buy  anything  from  a  nurseryman  who  is  ashamed 
of  his  name." 

He  closed  the  book,  returned  it  to  the  stranger,  and 
resumed  his  business  of  touching  up  the  hoes.  When  the 
stranger  was  fairly  out  of  hearing,  the  old  man  addressed 
the  boys  :  "  This  man  is  what  is  known  as  a  tree-pedler. 
Now,  Tony,  if  ever  you  get  a  farm  of  your  own,  take  care 
how  you  buy  anything  from  a  tree-pedler.  Things  sold  by 
these  fellows  are  generally  considered  cheap  because  the 
price  is  low.  But  what  is  thus  called  a  cheap  tree  or  vine 
is  the  very  dearest  thing  you  can  buy.  You  can't  get  a 
really  valuable  article  without  paying  for  it  a  fair  price. 
Plants  that  are  sold  at  an  excessively  low  price  should  be 
avoided,  as*  they  invariably  have  some  defect  about  them. 
They  have  either  been  badly  grown,  or  been  stunted,  or 
have  a  poor  supply  of  roots,  or  they  are  the  refuse  of  a 
nursery  which  has  been  bought  up  by  a  pedler,  to  be  worked 
off  among  the  farmers.  Especially  you  should  never  touch 
a  plant,  even  as  a  gift,  when  the  seller  refuses  to  tell  you 
where  or  by  whom  it  was  grown." 

"But  that  was  nice  fruit  that  he  showed  in  his  book," 
interrupted  Tony 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  1 83 

"  O  y  es,"  replied  Uncle  Benny,  "  they  looked  very  well 
on  paper,  like  many  other  impositions.  They  sounded  very 
cheap  also,  —  peach-trees  at  three  dollars  a  hundred,  when 
the  price  is  usually  ten  or  twelve.  Now,  suppose  I  were  to 
set  out  a  hundred  of  these  trees,  saving  five  or  six  dollars 
in  the  price,  and,  after  cultivating  them  two  or  three  years, 
should  then  discover  that,  instead  of  their  producing  the 
fine  fruit  that  was  promised,  it  was  scarcely  good  enough 
for  the  pigs  ?  There  would  be  the  loss  of  at  least  two  years' 
time  and  labor,  and  all  the  money  I  had  paid,  besides  the 
vexation  which  every  one  feels  on  discovering  that  he  has 
been  cheated.  It  would  be  even  worse  in  the  case  of  pear- 
trees,  for  there  one  has  to  wait  longer  for  them  to  come  into 
bearing.  By  saving  ten  cents  in  the  purchase  of  a  tree, 
he  may  find  that,  instead  of  the  Bartlett  he  bargained  for, 
he  has  been  cheated  into  the  purchase  and  cultivation  of  a 
choke-pear.  It  is  the  poorest  sort  of  economy  to  buy  cheap 
trees ;  and  it  is  sometimes  dangerous  to  get  them,  evea  at 
full  prices,  from  persons  in  whose  character  you  do  not 
have  full  confidence.  But  there  are  others  who  think  just 
AS  I  do  on  this  subject,  as  I  will  show  you." 

Taking  from  his  pocket  a  number  of  "  The  Country  Gen- 
tleman," he  read  to  them  the  following  article :  — 

"No  man  can  obtain  anything  valuable  without  paying  its 
ftill  price.     If  he  makes  a  purchase  of  a  fine  horse  for  a  small 


184  FARMING  FOR  BOYS. 

sum,  he  will  probably  find  that  the  horse  has  some  hidden  dis- 
ease,—  heaves,  founder,  spavin,  ringbone,  —  or  else  that  he  has 
obtained  the  name  of  a  cheating  horse-dealer,  which  is  still  more 
undesirable.  If  he  attempts  to  build  a  house  at  a  lower  contract 
price  than  the  builder  can  afford  it,  he  will  ultimately  discover 
that  a  good  deal  of  bad  material  has  been  used,  or  that  he  has  a 
long  string  of  extras,  which,  by  dexterous  contrivance,  have  been 
thrust  in.  It  is  so  in  buying  fruit-trees.  If  a  purchaser  finds  a 
lot  offered  at  low  retail  prices,  he  will  probably  discover  them  to 
have  been  badly  cultivated,  neglected,  moss-covered,  or  to  have 
been  carelessly  dug  up,  with  chopped  roots,  —  or  to  consist  of 
some  unsalable  varieties,  or  to  have  been  poorly  packed,  or  the 
roots  left  exposed  till  they  have  become  dry  and  good  for  noth- 
ing. 

"  Now,  suppose  a  purchase  is  made  of  one  of  these  trees  at 
five  cents  below  the  regular  market  price  among  the  best  nursery- 
men. The  owner  congratulates  himself  on  having  effected  a 
saving  of  the  sum  of  five  cents.  Let  us  see  how  much  he  is  likely 
to  lose.  If  the  tree  is  stunted,  it  will  be  at  least  three  years 
before  it  can  attain  the  vigor  of  its  thrifty  compeer.  In  other 
words,  he  sells  three  years  of  growth,  three  years  of  attention,  if 
it  gets  any,  three  years  of  occupancy  of  the  ground,  and  three 
years  of  delayed  expectation,  for  the  sum  of  five  cents.  Or 
suppose  the  tree  has  been  purchased  below  price  because  it  is 
the  last  in  a  pedler's  wagon,  and  has  been  dried  or  frozen.  The 
owner  pays  for  the  tree,  digs  a  hole,  and  sets  it  out ;  it  will  prob- 
ably  die,  —  in  which  case  he  loses   only  what  he   has   paid,   the 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  1 85 

labor  expended,  and  one  year  of  lost  time  and  expectation.  He 
has  gained  nothing.  If  the  tree  lives,  the  former  estimate  will 
then  apply.  Or,  again,  suppose  that  he  buys  a  tree,  and  saves 
five  cents,  as  aforesaid,  because  the  quality,  or  the  sort,  or  the 
honesty  of  the  dealer,  as  to  its  genuineness,  may  be  question- 
able. After  several  years  of  waiting  and  labor,  it  turns  out  to 
be  a  poor  sort,  and  the  tree  continues  to  bear  this  poor  fruit  for 
thirty  years  to  come.  The  fruit,  being  unsalable,  will  probably 
bring  no  more  than  ten  cents  a  bushel.  In  thirty  years  the 
average  annual  crop  will  be  about  three  bushels,  or  ninety  bush- 
els in  all,  equal  to  nine  dollars  total  value.  But  if,  instead  of 
this  miserable  specimen,  the  purchaser  procures  a  tree  at  full 
price,  and  one  of  the  most  productive  and  marketable  varieties, 
the  crop  will  always  sell  in  market  at  twenty-five,  and  sometimes 
fifty,  cents  a  bushel ;  and  for  the  whole  thirty  years  will  average 
at  least  eight  bushels  annually,  —  sixty  dollars  for  the  thirty 
years,  at  the  lowest  computation.  There  is  a  loss  of  fifty-one 
dollars  made  by  purchasing  the  cheap  tree,  all  for  the  sake  of 
saving  five  cents." 

While  the  hoeing  of  this  cornfield  was  going  on,  there 
was  continual  opportunity  for  observing  the  difference  in 
growth  of  that  end  of  the  rows  which  received  the  drain- 
age from  the  barn-yard.  The  plants  were  double  the  height 
of  the  others,  and  there  was  a  deep,  rank  green  that  was 
nowhere  else  perceptible.  Here  too  the  weeds  grew  taller 
and  stouter,  as  well  as  more  abundantly.     Uncle  Benny  had 


1 86  FARMING   FOR  BOYS. 

always  taught  the  boys  that  the  greatness  of  a  farmer's 
crop  was  not  to  be  measured  by  the  number  of  his  acres, 
but  by  the  thoroughness  with  which  he  enriched  his  land 
and  the  care  bestowed  upon  the  crop.  His  theory  was 
to  put  a  large  amount  of  labor  on  a  small  amount  of  land. 
The  two-acre  cornfield  was  an  excellent  illustration  of  his 
theories.  The  boys  saw  for  themselves  that  in  that  portion 
which  received  the  washing  from  the  barn-yard  they  would 
have  a  far  greater  crop  than  from  the  other  portion,  because 
of  the  full  supply  of  manure  which  it  received.  Whenever 
he  came  to  a  remarkably  fine  hill  of  corn,  the  old  man 
would  tell  them  that  the  earth  was  really  of  no  great  use 
except  to  afibrd  a  standing-place  for  plants  while  the  farmer 
was  feeding  them,  and  that  money  laid  out  in  manure  must 
not  be  considered  as  money  lost,  because  it  always  repro- 
duced itself  in  the  crop.  He  rarely  gave  chemical  reasons, 
or  used  scientific  terms,  as  the  boys  had  had  no  knowledge 
of  them. 

But  he  explained  how  it  was  that  plants  acquired  their 
growth.  The  earth  kept  them  in  an  upright  position,  but 
they  grew  by  feeding  on  the  fertilizing  materials  added  to 
the  soil  from  water,  and  from  the  air  which  surrounded  them. 
Both  air  and  water  were  indispensable  ;  hence  the  necessity 
for  rain,  and  for  the  continued  stirring  up  of  the  soil  by 
harrowing  the  surface,  so  that  the  air  should  penetrate  to 
the   roots,  and  the  water,  in  a   heavy   shower,   should  soak 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  1 8/ 

into  the  ground,  instead  of  running  off  and  wetting  only  the 
surface.  Thus,  if  the  day's  hoeing  was  useful  to  the  growing 
crop,  it  was  made  equally  instructive  to  the  minds  of  the 
boys,  for  a  practical  lecture  was  delivered  on  the  spot, 
with  fact  and  illustration  united.  Lessons  thus  learned 
are  usually  the  most  instructive,  as  well  as  most  likely  to 
be  remembered. 

When  the  day's  work  was  done,  the  old  man  sat  down 
upon  the  stump  of  an  apple-tree  to  rest,  the  boys  gathering 
about  him,  and  Tony  asked,  "  Uncle  Benny,  how  much 
money  can  an  acre  of  ground  be  made  to  produce  ? " 

"  Ah,"  replied  the  old  man,  "  you  ask  me  too  much.  It 
would  require  a  great  book  to  answer  that  question,  and 
even  then  it  would  be  only  half  answered.  I  do  not  think 
the  capacity  of  an  acre  of  ground  has  ever  been  ascertained. 
You  do  not  put  the  question  in  the  right  way.  It  is  not 
the  acre  that  produces  the  crop,  but  the  jnan  who  cultivates 
the  acre.  All  agricultural  history  is  full  of  instances  of  this 
being  the  case.  There  are  families  who  starve  on  fifty 
acres,  while  there  are  others  who  live  comfortably  on  one 
or  two.  But  another  time  we'll  look  a  Httle  further  into 
this  question,  for  it  is  one  that  a  farmer's  boy  should  have 
answered  as  promptly  as  possible.  There  are  grown-up 
people,  too,  who  would  be  benefited  by  examining  the  sub- 
ject more  closely  than  they  have  been  in  the  habit  of 
doing." 


1 88  FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 


CHAPTER    XII. 

A   GREAT   Brier- Patch.  —  Puti'ing   it   to   good   Use.  —  Amazing   the 

Neighbors. 

/~\N  Spangler's  unwieldy  farm  of  a  hundred  acres  there 
^-^  was  a  large  piece  of  neglected  land,  which  had  long 
been  known  as  the  "  old  field."  For  many  years  it  had  been 
grown  up  with  common  wild  blackberries,  which  so  com- 
pletely occupied  the  ground  that  almost  every  other  kind 
of  plant  was  smothered  out.  There  were  a  few  straggling 
grape-vines  among  the  dense  mass  of  briers,  but  these  could 
not  have  survived  had  they  not  been  able  to  climb  to  the 
top  of  the  blackberries,  and  so  get  up  into  air  and  sunshine. 
Neither  man  nor  boy  had  ever  been  able  to  traverse  this 
immense  thicket.  Hence  it  was  selected  by  the  birds  for 
building  their  nests  in  summer,  and  by  rabbits  as  a  hid- 
ing-place in  winter.  It  was  therefore  a  choice  neighbor- 
hood for  the  boys  to  set  their  traps  and  snares,  and  many 
a  fine  stew  for  dinner  did  they  secure  by  thus  trapping  its 
timid  inhabitants. 

One  day  in  July,  Uncle  Benny  and  the  boys  were  walk- 
ing on  the  outside  of  this  great  brier-patch,  and  wondering 
at  the  immense  crop  of  berries  it  was  producing.  The  tall 
canes  had  shot  away  up  above  their  heads,  and  were  bending 


FARMING    FOR   BOYS.  1 89 

down  with  a  heavy  load  of  fruit,  forming,  with  the  old 
canes,  a  tangled  mass  of  dead  and  living  wood,  into  which 
no  one  could  force  his  way.  They  could  reach  the  fruit 
on  the  outside  of  the  patch,  and  here  they  stopped,  and 
began  to  pick  and  eat.  This  the  boys  and  girls  of  Span- 
gler's  family  had  been  in  the  habit  of  doing  as  long  as 
they  could  remember,  without  any  thought  of  turning  the 
great  crop  upon  the  "old  field"  to  any  other  use. 

"  Boys,"  said  Uncle  Benny,  "  there  is  a  good  deal  of  mon- 
ey in  this  brier-patch,  if  you  only  knew  it,  all  of  which  is 
now  going  to  waste." 

"What  do  you  mean,  Uncle  Benny?"  inquired  Tony 
King. 

"  Why,"  rejoined  the  old  man,  "  have  them  picked,  and 
sent  to  Trenton  market." 

Here  was  a  new  idea  for  the  boys  to  entertain ;  for  they 
had  all  their  lives  seen  the  great  annual  crop  going  to  waste. 
But  they  followed  the  matter  up,  and  talked  it  over,  until 
they  finally  determined  to  take  the  old  man's  advice.  The 
thing  had  to  be  made  a  partnership  affair,  in  which  all  the 
boys  and  girls  of  the  family  were  to  be  equally  interested  ; 
so  the  Spangler  girls  were  enlisted  in  the  cause,  they  agree- 
ing to  assist  in  picking  the  berries,  if  the  boys  would  see 
to  having  them  taken  to  market.  As  these  young  people 
very  rarely  had  any  spending-money  in  their  pockets,  the 
prospect    of   making   a   dollar   or    two   apiece   was   a   great 


IQO 


FARMING    FOR    BOYS. 


Stimulant  to  exertion.  If  the  boys  wanted  to  buy  any 
little  notion,  the  girls  were  just  as  anxious  to  have  some 
bits  of  finery  for  themselves. 

The   whole   party   were   therefore   up   every   morning   by 
daybreak,    picking   blackberries.     It    was    a    rather   scratchy 


kind  of  work,  as  the  briers  upon  the  untrimmed  bushes 
lacerated  their  hands,  and  tore  a  good  many  holes  in  frocks 
and  aprons.  Each  picker  strove  to  push  himself  into  the 
patch  as  far  as  possible,  anxious  to  reach  the  fruit ;  but 
the  farther  he  pushed  in  the  worse  it  was  for  him. 


FARMING   FOR  BOYS.  IQI 

Bill  Spangler,  the  youngest  boy,  as  well  as  the  smallest 
and  most  adventurous,  had  a  particular  ambition  for  creeping 
into  certain  openings  among  the  bushes,  and  thus  succeed- 
ed in  securing  more  berries  than  the  others.  But  on  one 
of  these  adventures  the  briers  unfortunately  laid  hold  of 
the  hinder  part  of  his  thin  summer  pantaloons,  and  main- 
tained so  firm  a  grip,  that,  in  tearing  himself  loose,  and 
getting  fairly  outside  among  the  others,  his  sister  Nancy 
told  him  that  his  covering  was  so  ragged  that  she  was 
ashamed  of  him.  Even  Uncle  Benny,  whenever  Bill  was 
looking  another  way,  could  n't  help  pointing  with  his  cane 
at  the  fellow's  rags,  and  laughing  quite  out ;  and  as  the 
others  enjoyed  the  joke  as  fully  as  he  did,  they  had  a  merry 
time  over  Bill's  misfortune.  The  plain  truth  was,  that  sev- 
eral inches  of  Bill's  shirt  had  escaped  through  a  huge  rent, 
and,  abandoning  its  proper  place  of  confinement,  was  dan- 
gling out  of  doors. 

They  secured,  nevertheless,  a  large  quantity  of  berries,  as 
the  "  old  field "  covered  full  six  acres,  and  it  was  a  long 
stretch  to  go  round  it.  Then  they  were  able  to  do  this 
three  days  during  every  week  that  the  fruit  was  ripening. 
But  it  was  very  trying  work,  much  more  so  than  if  the 
canes  had  been  *  planted  in  regular  rows,  and  trimmed  and 
kept  snug. 

Uncle  Benny  had  promised  them  he  would  see  to  taking 
the  berries  to  market,  and  having  them  sold.     This  he  did 


192  FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 

faithfully,  as  he  was  anxious  to  do  all  he  could  to  train  up 
these  young  people,  girls  as  well  as  boys,  in  habits  of  in- 
dustry and  thrift.  The  very  first  week's  picking  produced 
a  sum  so  large  that  every  one  of  the  party  had  over  two 
dollars  to  his  share.     Then  the  next  week  did  even   better. 

It  was  curious  to  see  how  this  unexpected  acquisition 
of  a  little  money  affected  these  young  people.  It  filled  a 
great  gap  in  the  longing  heart  of  Tony  King.  They  were 
so  unused  to  having  any,  that  they  scarcely  knew  what  to 
do  with  it,  and  appeared  to  think  the  only  use  for  money 
was  to  spend  it.  A  dozen  different  schemes  were  formed 
as  to  spending,  as  the  idea  of  saving  had  not  entered  the 
mind  of  any  one  of  them.  But  Uncle  Benny  cautioned 
them  not  to  be  in  a  hurry,  and  to  hold  on  to  their  cash,  at 
least  until  they  had  done  picking.  Some  had  desired  him 
to  buy  one  thing  or  another  in  Trenton,  and  bring  it  home 
to  them,  but  he  never  did  so.  He  thought  that,  if  they  could 
be  got  through  the  first  feverish  excitement  of  success,  they 
would  be  more  manageable  in  future. 

The  great  fruit-growers  of  our  country,  who  cultivate 
from  ten  to  twenty  acres  of  the  most  valuable  varieties  of 
the  blackberry,  may  smile  at  this  small  beginning  of  the 
Spanglers  on  a  patch  of  common  wild  ones.  But  they  must 
remember  that  the  public  never  had  a  taste  of  these  im- 
proved varieties  until  within  a  few  years,  and  that,  until 
they   did   come   into   notice,  everybody  was    satisfied    with 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  I93 

the  uncultivated  fruit  that  sprung  up  along  neglected 
hedge-rows,  or  in  such  old  fields  as  had  been  abandoned  to 
them.  These  children  were  only  doing  in  one  place  what 
hundreds  of  others  were  doing  in  many  other  places  where 
a  market  was  within  reach.  The  consumers,  as  well  as  the 
pickers,  were  satisfied  with  this  coarse  fruit.  Being  thus  a 
good  bargain  for  both  parties,  the  trade  was  kept  up  wher- 
ever the  common  blackberry  was  near  enough  to  market. 

There  are  sections  of  our  country  in  which  this  business 
of  gathering  wild  fruit  is  an  important  item  toward  the 
maintenance  of  many  families.  They  look  to  the  black- 
berry harvest  as  a  certain  income.  Entire  households, 
men  as  well  as  women,  abandon  all  other  employments, 
and  take  to  picking  berries.  They  need  not  carry  them 
to  the  cities  to  find  purchasers,  but  meet  with  wholesale 
city  buyers  at  every  railroad  station.  These  pay  cash  to 
the  industrious  pickers,  and  forward  the  fruit  to  market, 
where  it  is  retailed  at  a  higher  price.  They  have  their 
profit,  of  course,  but  the  pickers  have  a  better  one,  because 
the  fruit  costs  nothing  beyond  the  labor  of  gathering  it ; 
and  this  division  of  labor  and  profit  is  sufficiently  remuner- 
ative to  keep  the  business  going  from  year  to  year,  not- 
withstanding the  extensive  introduction  of  superior  varieties. 
If  it  were  not  for  this  division,  it  is  probable  that  the  great 
cities  would  be  compelled  to  do  without  much  of  the  fruit 
they  now  consume. 
13 


194  FARMING   FOR  BOYS. 

But  this  gathering  up  of  wild  fruit  by  poor  families  is 
not  confined  to  the  blackberry.  The  woods  of  New  Jersey 
are  annually  ransacked  for  the  huckleberry,  of  which  as- 
tonishing quantities  are  collected  and  sent  to  market,  pro- 
ducing very  serviceable  amounts  of  money  to  the  industri- 
ous pickers.  The  wild  cranberry  is  also  gathered  in  large 
quantities  by  the  same  class  of  people.  These  successive 
harvests,  which  Providence  bountifully  prepares  for  those 
who  dwell  in  huts  and  shanties  on  the  borders  of  civiliza- 
tion, are  as  much  depended  on  as  are  the  wheat  and  corn 
crops  of  the  most  extensive  farmer. 

Uncle  Benny  knew  all  about  these  things,  and  was  de- 
termined to  make  them  contribute  to  what  he  considered 
a  praiseworthy  ambition  of  the  Spanglers  to  make  a  little 
money  for  themselves.  Some  of  the  boys  wanted  books, 
and  tools,  and  other  juvenile  notions,  while  the  girls  had 
a  dozen  matters  of  their  own  to  be  supplied  with.  He 
thought  this  "old  field"  might  be  turned  to  great  account, 
and  hence  his  recommendation  that  the  boys  should  not 
be  in  a  hurry  to  spend  their  money,  as  he  had  a  plan  of 
his  own  in  relation  to  making  the  "  old  field  "  a  really  profit- 
able affair  to  them.  He  was  satisfied  there  was  a  fair 
chance  by  which  to  make  the  very  beginning  they  had  all 
been  striving  after. 

-When  the  blackberry  crop  had  all  been  picked  and  sold, 
everybody  on  the  farm  was  surprised  at  hearing  that  it  footed 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  195 

up  sixty  dollars,  clear  of  all  expenses.  It  was  really  so  much 
money  found ;  for  though  the  "  old  field  "  had  ripened  prob- 
ably fifty  crops,  not  a  cent's  worth  had  ever  been  turned  into 
cash.  What  the  family  had  not  picked  for  their  own  use  had 
been  taken  by  the  birds  or  wasps,  or  perished  on  the  bushes. 
Philip  Spangler  was  particularly  astonished  at  the  result.  He 
said  it  would  pay  a  half-year's  interest  on  his  mortgage. 

"  Yes,"  observed  Uncle  Benny  in  reply,  "  I  can  make  this 
brier-patch  pay  interest  and  principal  too,  if  you  will  only 
allow  me  to  do  what  I  please  with  it." 

Spangler  readily  agreed  that  he  should  do  as  he  desired, 
and  a  regular  bargain  was  made  between  them  on  the  subject. 
Uncle  Benny  was  to  have  entire  control  of  the  blackberry 
field  ;  he  was  to  get  what  he  could  from  it,  and,  after  retaining 
three  fourths  of  the  profit  for  the  boys,  the  other  fourth  was 
to  be  paid  to  Spangler,  who  pledged  himself  that  it  should  be 
applied  to  paying  off  the  mortgage  on  the  farm. 

The  history  of  this  "  old  field  "  of  six  acres  is  so  remarkable 
that  it  may  as  well  be  related  now.  It  will  be  remembered 
that  it  was  only  from  the  edges  or  outskirts  that  any  fruit  had 
been  gathered.  All  the  interior  of  the  field  was  filled  with 
bushes  nearly  as  productive  as  those  upon  the  margin,  but  it 
was  impossible  to  reach  them.  Uncle  Benny  made  a  calcula- 
tion as  to  how  many  rows  of  canes  he  could  make  by  cutting 
away  open  spaces  ten  feet  wide  from  one  side  of  the  field  to 
the  other.     He  then  compared  the  result  with  the  length  of 


196  FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 

margin  from  which  they  had  been  picking,  and  satisfied  him- 
self, that,  if  that  had  produced  sixty  dollars,  he  could  get  a 
sufficient  length  of  picking  surface  to  make  the  "  old  field  "  pay 
almost  as  good  a  profit  as  was  made  on  half  of  the  entire  farm. 
There  was  the  ground  already  planted  with  bearing  canes, 
and  nothing  more  was  needed  than  to  transform  it  from  a 
field  of  wild  blackberries  into  a  cultivated  one. 

He  was  satisfied  that  he  knew  how  to  make  the  change. 
He  was  sure  there  would  be  all  the  fruit  he  wanted,  and  that 
cultivation  would  cause  the  berries  to  grow  larger  and  look 
nicer,  and  therefore  to  bring  a  higher  price.  Besides,  he  had 
quietly  consulted  the  market-men  in  Trenton  about  what  he 
intended  to  do,  for  he  was  a  little  in  doubt  as  to  their  being 
wiUing  to  buy  the  immense  quantity  of  berries  he  expected 
to  have  another  year.  He  was  somewhat  uncertain  as  to 
there  being  mouths  enough  to  consume  his  crop.  But  they 
all  smiled  at  the  idea  of  his  being  able  to  raise  more  than 
they  could  sell,  and  told  him  to  go  ahead,  as  they  would  take 
twice  as  large  a  crop  as  he  could  turn  in.  It  seems  that  one 
of  them  was  concerned  in  a  great  canning  establishment, 
where  thousands  of  quarts  were  preserved  in  glass  jars  for  dis- 
tribution over  the  country,  and  he  was  assured  that  this  con- 
cern alone  could  take  all  that  he  might  be  able  to  produce. 

This  fear  of  glutting  the  fruit  market  is  a  very  common 
one  with  people  who  know  nothing  of  the  business  ;  but  it 
never  troubles  those  who  have  been  a  lifetime  engaged  in  it. 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  1 97 

Where  to  find  a  market  occasions  them  no  distress.  Their 
only  concern  is  how  to  produce  the  fruit,  as  it  may  be  said  to 
be  all  sold  even  before  it  has  been  grown  ;  that  is,  when  one 
is  located  near  a  great  market.  Uncle  Benny's  doubts  being 
thus  dispelled,  he  went  to  work  immediately  by  hiring  two 
men  for  the  job,  who  began  as  soon  as  the  leaves  had  ;fallen. 

As  before  said,  this  immense  brier-patch  covered  six  acres 
of  ground,  about  twice  as  long  as  it  was  wide.  He  directed 
the  men  to  make  openings  ten  feet  wide  clear  across  the 
width,  leaving  a  narrow  row  of  canes.  They  went  in  with 
sharp  brier  scythes,  and  rapidly  cut  down  everything  before 
them  ;  though  it  was  tearing  and  scratching  work  for  hands 
and  clothes,  as  many  years'  growth  of  dead  and  hard  wood 
had  to  come  away.  Then  the  trimmings  were  piled  on  a  cart, 
and  brought  out,  and  thrown  into  an  immense  heap,  where 
they  were  burned.  Then  all  the  dead  wood  was  cut  out  from 
the  rows  thus  left  standing,  and  the  new  canes  were  short- 
ened wherever  they  had  grown  too  high.  This  trash  was 
also  carted  away  and  burned.  When  this  thorough  cleaning 
up  and  trimming  had  been  completed,  every  row  looked  as 
nice  and  snug  as  any  of  the  great  fields  of  the  improved  kinds 
of  blackberries  which  are  now  so  common.  Where  vacant 
places  occurred  in  the  rows,  they  were  filled  by  setting  in  new 
roots.  The  spaces  between  the  rows  were  then  gone  over 
with  a  double  plough,  which  tore  up  thousands  of  old  roots, 
and  this  being  several  times  followed  by  a  two-horse  harrow,  it 


198  FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 

loosened  and  released  a  multitude  of  others,  —  so  many,  in- 
deed, as  to  require  the  mass  to  be  raked  up  and  carted  away. 

But  when  these  several  operations  had  been  as  carefully 
carried  out  as  Uncle  Benny  required  them  to  be,  the  whole 
field  looked  more  like  a  garden  than  any  spot  on  the  farm. 
It  was  really  beautiful  to  see  how  perfectly  straight  the  rows 
of  canes  stretched  across  the  field,  and  how  mellow  was  the 
soil  between  them,  not  a  root  or  weed  being  visible.  It  was 
with  immense  satisfaction  that  the  old  man  viewed  the  com- 
plete realization  of  his  plans.  It  took  some  weeks  to  carry  out 
this  regenerating  process,  besides  costing  considerable  money, 
—  all  which  he  cheerfully  advanced,  on  the  credit  of  the  next 
crop. 

But  he  declared  that  the  satisfaction  he  enjoyed  at  seeing 
a  wilderness  converted  into  a  fruit  field  was  compensation 
enough.  It  was  a  greater  pleasure  to  him  to  spend  money 
in  improvements  of  this  description  than  it  could  possibly  be 
to  others  to  hoard  it. 

Spangler  had  seen  the  operation  going  on,  but  said  little, 
except  dropping  a  remark  occasionally  about  how  much 
money  it  was  costing.  Improvement  was  altogether  out  of 
his  line.  But  one  day  when  Uncle  Benny  happened  to  be 
contemplating,  by  himself,  this  triumph  of  his  ideas,  he  was 
suddenly  accosted  with  : 

"  Well,  well,  what  a  spot  of  work  this  is  !  " 

Looking  round,  he  discovered  their  neighbor,  Mr.  Allen, 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  1 99 

who,  until  that  moment,  had  seen  nothing  of  Uncle  Benny's 
operations  on  the  brier-patch.  He  seemed  confounded  with 
the  spectacle  before  him. 

"Why,  Uncle  Benny,  you  beat  me  all  to  pieces!  This 
is  the  completest  piece  of  workmanship  ever  done  in  the 
country.  I  give  you  credit  for  your  good  judgment,  as  well 
as  for  your  courage,  and,  what  is  more,  this  thing  is  going 
to  pay.  It  is  a  big  job,  I  know ;  but  the  more  of  it  the 
better  for  you." 

Spangler  came  up  while  Mr.  Allen  was  thus  speaking, 
but  made  no  remark,  though  Mr.  Allen's  emphatic  indorse- 
ment of  Uncle  Benny's  work  had  its  effect  upon  his  gener- 
ally slow  perceptions. 

"  What  a  mass  of  manure  you  have  in  the  bottom  of  this 
brier-patch  ! "  he  continued.  "  I  have  known  it  thirty  years, 
exactly  as  it  was  before  you  reclaimed  it.  Thirty  or  more 
crops  of  wood  and  leaves  have  fallen  and  decayed  on  this 
ground,  perhaps  fifty ;  and,  now  that  you  have  so  thinned 
out  the  plants  as  to  have  only  one  to  feed  where  there  used 
to  be  fifty,  you  will  need  no  manure  for  years  to  come." 

But  the  fame  of  this  undertaking  spread  all  over  the 
neighborhood,  it  being  an  unheard-of  thing  among  the 
owners  of  brier-patches.  Many  persons  came  to  see  it, 
and  various  opinions  were  expressed  as  to  what  was  likely 
to  be  the  end  of  it.  The  principal  anxiety  was  as  to  how 
much  it   cost     They  could   all   understand  about  that,  but 


200  FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 

not  one  of  them  could  see  that  the  money  expended  could 
ever  be  made  to  come  back.  As  to  investing  money  in 
new  undertakings  upon  faith,  that  was  not  in  their  line. 
Generally,  they  knew  too  much  about  blackberries  ;  so  that 
Uncle  Benny  never  had  the  satisfaction  of  hearing  that  any 
one  had  pluck  enough  to  follow  his  example. 

But  that  absence  of  encouragement  was  of  no  importance 
to  him.  He  had  a  mind  and  a  will  of  his  own ;  he  did  n't 
pin  his  faith  on  any  man's  judgment;  he  knew  what  he 
was  about ;  he  had  a  little  money  to  invest,  and  it  was  of 
no  consequence  whether  other  folks  approved  of  his  doings 
or  not.  How  far  he  was  correct  will  be  set  forth  in  a  fu- 
ture chapter. 


FARMING   FOR  BOYS.  201 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

How  THE  Pets  succeeded.  —  Going  to  the  Fair.  —  A  Young  Horse- 
Race.  —  Trying  for  a  Premium. 

T  T  must  not  be  supposed  that,  during  all  this  period,  from 
**"  spring  to  fall,  the  boys  had  neglected  giving  their  pigs 
and  pigeons  whatever  care  they  needed.  The  pigeons  had 
long  been  released  from  their  prison  in  the  loft,  and  now 
went  and  came  as  they  pleased.  They  flew  away  over  the 
farm,  picking  up  the  seeds  of  weeds,  and,  so  far  as  could  be 
discovered,  were  doing  no  injury  to  the  crops.  Not  one  of 
the  neighbors  had  complained  of  them.  Even  Farmer 
Spangler  could  find  no  fault,  though  he  had  so  stubbornly 
resisted  their  introduction  on  the  premises.  On  the  con- 
trary, he  began  to  think  they  were  very  convenient  things  to 
have  about ;  for  as  they  had  hatched  out  and  reared  several 
pairs  of  squabs.  Uncle  Benny  had  been  shrewd  enough  to 
have  the  boys  present  a  couple  of  them  to  Mrs.  Spangler,  who 
served  them  up  in  a  pie  for  her  husband's  dinner. 

This  little  stroke  of  the  old  man  had  a  prodigious  effect 
on  Spangler's  opinions  as  to  the  value  of  pigeons  on  a  farm, 
as  many  of  his  seemed  to  be  formed  in  his  stomach  instead 
of  in  his  brain.  Moreover,  he  was  particularly  fond  of  pot- 
pie.     Uncle  Benny  being  aware  of  this  weakness,  and  know- 


202 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 


mg  also  that  the  most  direct  way  to  a  man's  good  opinion 
is  in  the  direction  of  his  stomach,  he  thought  the  offering 
of  one  or  two  pairs  of  squabs  on  the  altar  of  Spangler's 
appetite  would  be  about  the  cheapest  form  of  conciliation 


he  could  adopt.  But  Uncle  Benny  is  not  the  first  person 
who  has  discovered  the  power  of  a  good  dinner  in  carrying 
a  favorite  point. 

The  boys  kept  their  pigeon-loft  as  clean  as  possible,  and 


FARMING  FOR  BOYS.  203 

Stored  up  a  considerable  quantity  of  manure  that  was  almost 
equal  to  guano.  The  floor  was  constantly  supplied  with 
gravel,  lumps  of  clay,  or  common  soil,  and  salt.  These 
were  not  needed  for  the  older  birds,  which  ranged  over  the 
farm,  as  they  could  find  all  such  materials  for  themselves, 
except  the  salt.  But  such  articles  are  indispensable  to 
the  health  of  a  pigeon,  hence  it  is  better  to  provide  them 
where  they  can  be  handy.  In  a  pigeon-loft  there  are 
always  some  young  birds  called  squeakers.  These  are  such 
as  have  outgrown  the  condition  of  squabs,  and,  having  all 
their  feathers,  have  left  the  nest  to  run  about  the  loft,  with- 
out as  yet  having  courage  enough  to  use  their  wings  out 
of  doors.  Such  must  be  carefully  looked  after  until  able 
to  fly  out  and   shift   for   themselves. 

Pigeons  living  a  reasonable  distance  from  the  ocean,  or 
from  salt  marshes,  obtain  salt  by  drinking  freely  of  the  briny 
water.  They  have  been  known  to  swallow  snails  for  the 
sake  of  the  materials  contained  in  the  shells.  In  chalky 
countries  they  pick  up  the  chalk  as  it  Hes  on  the  ground 
They  are  also  very  fond  of  certain  fragrant  matters,  such  as 
lavender,  which  they  often  break  off,  and  carry  to  their 
nests.  When  these  necessaries  are  not  provided  for  them, 
they  can  be  easily  enticed  off  to  some  other  home  where 
such  luxuries  are  kept  on  hand. 

It  is  a  well-known  trick  of  pigeon  fanciers  to  draw  to 
their   premises   their    neighbors'   birds    by   keeping   a   good 


204  FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 

supply  of  what  they  call  "  salt  cat."  This  is  made  by  taking 
a  barrel  full  of  loam,  and  converting  it  into  mud  by  mix- 
ing up  old  brine  in  which  meat  has  been  pickled.  Then 
a  gallon  of  coarse  sand,  a  peck  of  salt,  and  a  little  saltpetre. 
If  some  cummin  seed  or  lavender  is  worked  in  it  will  be 
better ;  in  fact,  anything  to  give  the  compound  a  pretty 
strong  smell,  so  much  the  more  will  it  be  rehshed.  Then 
keep  it  under  cover,  and  no  birds  can  be  enticed  away  to 
other  roosts.  Various  preparations  of  "  salt  cat "  are  in  use. 
some  of  which  are  very  far  from  being  as  fragrant  as  an 
orange  blossom  or  a  rose.  On  the  contrary,  experience  has 
proved  that  the  worse  they  smell  the  better  the  birds  like 
them. 

So  far  the  boys  found  it  the  easiest  thing  in  the  world  to 
raise  pigeons,  as  the  rearing  of  the  young  gave  them  no 
trouble.  Plenty  to  eat  and  drink,  with  constant  cleanliness, 
was  all  that  was  needed.  At  six  months  old  the  new  broods 
began  to  go  in  pairs,  each  .laying  a  couple  of  eggs.  In  eigh- 
teen days  after  the  laying  of  the  second  egg,  the  young  were 
hatched.  Thus  their  flock  went  on  increasing,  until  it  made 
a  very  respectable  show  when  its  members  came  down  from 
their  perches  to  take  part  in  the  several  distributions  of  corn 
among  the  poultry ;  but  they  would  have  to  wait  another 
year  before  having  any  to  sell. 

It  was  not  quite  so  encouraging  with  Nancy  and  the  pigs. 
The  whole  brood,  excepting  three  that  died,  increased  pro- 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  205 

digiously  in  size,  as  they  were  well  taken  care  of,  Bill  contin- 
uing to  curry  them  daily.  To  perform  this  now  extensive 
duty  more  easily,  he  mounted  an  old  curry-comb  on  the  end 
of  a  long  stick ;  and,  taking  both  hands  to  it,  he  was  able  to  do 
a  great  amount  of  currying  in  a  very  short  time.  It  was 
laughable  to  witness  the  movements  of  the  pigs  the  moment 
Bill  showed  himself  and  his  currying-stick  alongside  of  the 
pen.  They  ran,  grunting,  to  where  he  stood,  lay  down  on 
their  sides,  and  waited  patiently  for  him  to  begin  operations. 
It  was  much  easier  to  tire  out  Bill  than  it  was  to  tire  out 
them,  for  they  never  had  too  much  of  it.  Every  one  who  saw 
the  pigs,  even  their  neighbors  the  Aliens,  declared  they  had 
never  seen  such  silken-coated  animals  as  these,  all  occasioned 
by  clean  keep  and  regular  currying.  Uncle  Benny  one  day 
told  the  boys  that,  if  Bill  continued  to  push  them  forward  at 
that  rate,  he  did  n't  know  but  he  should  think  of  taking  them 
to  the  county  fair,  and  enter  them  as  candidates  for  the  pre- 
mium. 

But  the  pen  in  which  the  boys  had  begun  this  operation 
of  pig-raising  was  now  found  to  be  too  small.  So,  as  they 
had  considerable  money  laid  by  from  the  blackberries.  Uncle 
Benny  told  them  they  must  use  a  portion  of  it  in  putting  up 
a  new  pen.  It  was  partly  for  this  purpose  that  he  had  urged 
them  to  save  it.  It  is  true  that  he  had  given  way  to  their 
importunities  so  far  as  to  buy  something  for  each,  —  one 
wanted  a  cap,  another  a  whip,  and  the  third  would  have  a 


206  FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 

parcel  of  books.  He  insisted  on  being  the  general  cash- 
keeper,  but  required  each  one  to  have  a  regular  account  of 
how  much  he  was  entitled  to,  and  how  it  was  laid  out.  Thus, 
in  addition  to  teaching  them  the  importance  of  economy,  he 
taught  them  the  first  lessons  in  book-keeping. 

A  quantity  of  boards  being  purchased,  the  boys  quickly 
constructed  a  new  and  much  larger  pen.  The  old  man  had 
consented  to  their  joining  funds  and  buying  a  very  complete 
set  of  tools ;  and,  by  help  of  these  and  his  instructions,  they  suc- 
ceeded in  getting  up  as  handsome  a  pen  as  any  of  the  neigh- 
boring farmers  could  boast  of,  even  before  it  had  been  well 
whitewashed.  There  was  a  covered  sleeping-place  provided, 
so  that  in  wet  weather  the  pigs  could  keep  themselves  dry ; 
and  a  door,  through  which  Bill  could  get  in  without  climbing 
over  the  fence.  Then  the  old  hogshead  was  removed,  the 
ugly  patchwork  fence  taken  down,  and  a  thorough  clearing 
up  made  of  the  ground.  This  resulted  in  a  great  collection 
of  manure,  which  was  added  to  a  very  respectable  pile  from 
the  same  prolific  manufactory. 

"  Nothing  like  pigs  !  "  exclaimed  Uncle  Benny  to  the  boys, 
as  he  surveyed  the  huge  compost  heap.  "They  earn  their 
living  without  knowing  it.  I  must  have  some  of  this  on  our 
blackberries,  —  at  least  one  row  must  be  supplied  with  it,  just 
to  show  you  the  difference  between  high  culture  and  only 
half  culture." 

It   turned   out   that   Uncle   Benny's  remark  about  taking 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  20/ 

some  of  the  pigs  to  the  fair  had  some  meaning  in  it,  for  he 
now  made  up  his  mind  that  he  would  do  so.  He  looked  over 
the  printed  list  of  premiums  for  different  animals,  and  found 
that  whoever  should  exhibit  the  four  best  pigs  of  a  certain 
age  should  have  a  premium  of  three  dollars.  Now,  the 
amount  was  very  small,  and  really  not  worth  the  trouble  and 
cost  of  taking  four  pigs  some  ten  miles  to  the  fair,  even  if  one 
succeeded  in  securing  it.  But  the  old  man  explained  to 
the  boys  that  there  would  be  a  great  deal  of  honor  gained 
by  taking  the  premium.  That  was  worth  much  more  than 
the  money.  Besides,  ^  premium  animal  always  attracted 
great  notice  from  those  who  attended,  and  it  generally  sold 
at  a  high  price.  Many  persons  went  to  such  gatherings  on 
purpose  to  buy  fine  animals ;  and,  even  if  they  failed  of  secur- 
ing the  premium,  they  still  might  get  a  good  price  for  the 
pigs. 

Well,  as  it  had  been  already  determined  that  the  boys 
should  go  that  fall  to  the  fair,  it  was  resolved  to  compete  for 
the  premium.  So  the  four  best  pigs  were  put  in  a  pen  by 
themselves,  and  then  began  a  course  of  high  feeding  that  had 
never  been  practised  on  Spangler's  farm.  Uncle  Benny 
bought  from  the  Trenton  butcher,  about  once  a  week,  a 
barrelful  of  bones  having  considerable  meat  left  on  them, 
sheeps*  heads  and  cows'  heels,  with  now  and  then  a  pluck  ; 
and,  in  fact,  whatever  offal  the  butcher  made.  These  he  had 
boiled  up  into  soup,  with  a  sprinkling  of  corn-meal  and  mill- 


208  FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 

feed,  and  served  it  out  warm,  three  times  a  day  ;  giving  just 
as  much  as  the  pigs  wanted,  but  no  more.  It  was  amazing 
what  an  effect  this  meat-soup  diet  produced.  The  pigs  grew 
so  rapidly  as  to  confound  Farmer  Spangler,  who  had  always 
been  a  poor  sort  of  provider.  They  became  fairly  round  with 
fat ;  and,  when  the  proper  time  arrived,  they  were  put  into  a 
wagon  and  taken  to  the  fair,  where  the  committee  placed 
them  in  a  pen  by  themselves,  with  this  label,  written  in  large 
letters,  directly  in  front :  — 

CHESTER-COUNTY  WHITES. 

FOUR   PIGS    FROM   THE    SAME    LITTER, FIVE    MONTHS    OLD. 

RAISED    BY  JOSEPH   AND    WILLIAM   SPANGLER, 
AND    ANTHONY   KING. 

AVhen  thus  disposed  of,  Uncle  Benny  and  the  boys  strolled 
leisurely  around  the  enclosure  to  see  what  other  folks  had 
brought.  They  naturally  looked  into  the  pig  department 
first,  but  could  find  nothing  that  came  anywhere  up  to 
theirs,  though  a  large  number  had  been  entered  for  the 
prize.  Uncle  Benny  declared  that  he  began  to  think  there 
might  be  a  chance  for  their  getting  it.  Then  they  wan- 
dered all  over  the  grounds,  examining  the  multitude  of 
animals,  of  implements,  vegetables,  fruits,  and  other  useful 
and  ornamental  things  that  were  on  exhibition.  Uncle  Ben- 
ny pointed  out  to  them  the  useful  novelties,  as  well  as  the 
improved   agricultural  implements,  and  explained  how  they 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  20*9 

operated,  and  why  they  were  better  than  those  they  had 
at  home. 

The  older  boys  were  deeply  interested  in  all  they  saw ; 
but  Bill  Spangler  broke  away  every  half-hour,  to  run  off 
and  see  the  pigs.  Every  time  he  came  back  he  reported 
to  Uncle  Benny  that  there  was  a  considerable  crowd  gath- 
ered round  the  pen,  some  of  whom  were  inquiring  where 
Mr.  Spangler  and  Mr.  King  could  be  found.  These  re- 
peated announcements  excited  even  Uncle  Benny's  curi- 
osity ;  so  he  gradually  edged  round  toward  the  pen,  and, 
sure  enough,  there  was  a  real  crowd  of  people  admiring 
the  pigs !  In  the  centre  of  the  group  he  observed  two  or 
three  fussy,  important-looking  men,  with  paper  and  pencil 
in  their  hands.  These  were  the  judges,  who  were  just 
then  going  the  rounds  of  the  fair  to  decide  as  to  who  were 
to  have  the  different  premiums,  but  that  important  an- 
nouncement would  not  be  made  until  the  next  morning. 

In  the  course  of  their  wanderings  over  the  fair  grounds 
they  came  suddenly  to  a  great  open  space,  —  a  huge  circle, 
.surrounded  by  a  low  fence.  On  the  outside  of  this  fence 
an  immense  number  of  men  and  women  were  collected,  all 
crowding  upon  each  other  to  get  a  view  of  at  least  a  dozen 
persons,  in  light  sulkies,  who  were  trotting  horses  at  the 
top  of  their  speed  around  the  circle.  It  was  a  fine  gravel 
road,  made  expressly  for  fast  driving. 

The  boys  looked  on  with  the  utmost  enjoyment.  They 
14 


210  ■  FARMING    FOR   BOYS. 

had  never  seen  such  fast  driving  before,  except  when  a 
horse  was  running  away.  Then  they  were  in  continual  fear 
lest  one  sulky  would  run  into  another  and  cause  a  smash- 
up,  they  came  so  near  together.  Every  now  and  then 
there  was  a  shout  and  a  hurrah  from  the  spectators ;  and 
at  the  same  time  the  women  waved  their  handkerchiefs 
as  if  somebody  had  done  something  wonderful.  Bill  Span- 
gler  suddenly  turned  round  to  the  old  man,  and  in- 
quired, — 

"  Why,  Uncle  Benny,  ain't  this  a  horse-race  ? " 
"  Well,"  replied  Uncle  Benny,  "  this  is  what  the  society 
calls  'a  trial  of  speed.'  Don't  call  it  a  horse-race,  or  some 
of  the  managers  might  hear  you.  I  know  these  fairs  would 
be  dull  things  if  no  fast  horses  were  to  be  exhibited,  and 
I  am  afraid  they  are  becoming  mere  excuses  for  horse- 
racing.  But  everybody  seems  to  expect  it.  Look  at  the 
number  of  people  who  stand  round  this  fence,  gaping  for 
hours  together  at  nothing  more  than  a  parcel  of  trotting- 
horses,  driven  as  fast  as  they  can  be  made  to  go.  At  least 
one  half  of  the  spectators  are  women  ;  and,  taken  all  togeth- 
er, there  are  three  times  as  many  people  now  round  this 
fence,  enjoying  the  races,  as  there  are  on  the  rest  of  the 
ground.  I  think  the  managers  should  change  the  name 
of  their  shows,  and  call  them  the  annual  county  horse- 
race." 

But  the  boys  soon  tired  of  a  display  that  had  so  little  to 


FARMING   FOR  BOYS.  211 

interest  them  ;  and,  as  it  was  now  drawing  toward  sundown, 
they  turned  away,  and  started  for  home.  It  had  been  a 
somewhat  tiresome  day,  as  well  as  very  hot  and  dusty,  as 
fair-days  generally  are.  Still,  they  had  enjoyed  it  greatly, 
as  boys,  when  bent  on  pleasure,  do  not  seem  to  care  whether 
it  rains  or  snows,  or  whether  the  day  be  fair  or  hot  or 
dusty,  —  all  is  about  the  same  to  them. 

The  next  morning  they  returned,  and  found  a  crowd  even 
greater  than  on  the  preceding  day.  The  first  place  they 
visited  was  the  pig  department ;  for,  as  their  treasures  were 
there,  so  did  their  hearts  yearn  toward  it.  As  they  ap- 
proached the  pen  where  their  pets  had  been  deposited  they 
found  quite  a  number  of  persons  gathered  in  front  of  it, 
some  of  whom  were  reading  a  paper  which  had  been  stuck 
on  the  post,  and  which  read  thus  :  — 

First  Premium,  —  Chester  Whites. 

The  boys  hardly  knew  what  to  make  of  it,  but  Uncle 
Benny  explained  to  them  that  they  had  really  taken  the 
first  premium.  Their  surprise  and  gratification  knew  no 
bounds,  while  Uncle  Benny  himself  did  not  fail  to  experience 
a  degree  of  pleasure  which  fully  rewarded  him  for  all  the 
care  and  trouble  he  had  given  to  the  undertaking  from  the 
beginning. 

"  Where  is  Mr.  Spangler,  the  owner  of  these  pigs  ? "  in- 
quired a  well-dressed  gentleman  in  the  crowd.  "  I  want 
to   see   him." 


212  FARMING  FOR  BOYS. 

"Here  he  is,"  replied  Uncle  Benny,  taking  Bill  Spangler 
by  the  arm,  and  bringing  him  forward,  very  much  to  his 
confusion. 

"What,  my  lad,  did  you  raise  these  fine  pigs?"  inquired 
the  gentleman. 

"Well,  I  helped  to,  sir,"  replied  Bill. 

"I  want  to  buy  them,  and  will  give  you  ten  dollars 
apiece,"   added  the   gentleman. 

Bill  was  more  confused  than  ever,  and  turned  to  Uncle 
Benny  for  relief,  as  the  other  boys  had  nothing  to  say,  none 
of  them  being  used  to  making  bargains. 

"You  can  have  them,  sir,"  said  Uncle  Benny. 

"And  cheap  enough,  my  boys,"  added  a  voice  in  the 
crowd,  which  they  recognized  as  that  of  their  neighbor,  Mr. 
Allen.  "  You  deserve  great  praise  for  what  you  have  done. 
I  never  saw  finer  pigs  in  my  life.  Do  equally  well  another 
year,  and  you  will  get  your  names  up." 

The  gentleman  counted  out  forty  dollars  into  Uncle 
Benny's  hand,  which  he  folded  up,  and  put  into  his  pocket. 
But  if  the  taking  of  the  premium  had  surprised  the  boys, 
the  getting  of  so  large  a  price  really  astonished  them.  But 
the  old  man  afterwards  explained  to  them  that  anything 
on  which  a  great  amount  of  care  had  been  bestowed  was 
generally  sure  to  bring  with  it  a  good  reward.  He  had  no 
doubt  it  would  be  so  with  their  cornfield,  their  blackberry 
patch,  and,  in  fact,  with  everything  else  to  which  they  might 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  213 

devote  their  utmost  care  and  attention.  It  was  the  pains- 
taking boy  or  girl  who  went  ahead,  while  the  lazy  and 
the  slattern  fell  behind. 

When  the  party  reached  home,  and  told  Farmer  Spangler 
that  their  pigs  had  taken  the  prize,  and  been  sold  for  forty 
dollars,  he  was  even  more  astonished  than  themselves. 
Uncle  Benny  was  afterwards  satisfied  that  from  that  very 
day  he  could  see  a  change  in  Spangler's  conduct  and  dis- 
position. The  success  of  the  boys  had  been  so  decided 
that  he  could  not  help  acknowledging  it,  and  on  every 
proper  occasion  showed  a  much  greater  willingness  to  take 
the  old  man's  advice  as  to  how  things  ought  to  be  done  on 
the  farm. 

But.  this  was  not  the  last  of  these  surprises.  The  next 
day  several  persons  called  at  Farmer  Spangler's  to  buy  pigs. 
They  had  seen  the  four  prize  ones  at  the  fair,  and  wanted 
to  have  the  same  breed.  So  it  continued  for  a  week  or 
two,  —  people  were  continually  coming  who  wanted  to  buy. 
The  whole  stock  could  have  been  disposed  of,  even  Nancy 
herself,  but  Uncle  Benny  declined  selling.  He  told  the 
boys  that,  now  their  name  was  up,  they  must  go  in  for  rais- 
ing more. 


214  FARMING  FOR  BOYS. 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

Harvesting  Corn.  — Taking  care  of  Blackberries.  —  Winter  Sports 
AND  Winter  Evenings.  —  Planting  Strawberries  and  Raspberries. 
—  Getting  the  best  Tools. 

T  T  was  manifest  that  this  lucky  pork  speculation  had  the 
-^  happiest  effect  on  Farmer  Spangler's  temper.  Heretofore 
he  had  merely  consented  to  the  various  jobs  which  Uncle 
Benny  had  laid  out  for  his  party  to  do,  and  had  never  entered 
kindly  into  their  plans,  but  had  rather  objected,  more  or  less 
strongly,  to  their  being  carried  out.  But  the  result  of  their 
good  management,  carried  on  directly  under  his  own  notice, 
where  he  had  a  daily  view  of  its  progress,  and  turned  to 
golden  account,  could  not  be  overlooked,  even  by  one  who  was 
so  firmly  set  in  the  neglectful  habits  of  a  lifetime.  Thus 
when  Uncle  Benny  and  the  boys  started  off  to  begin  husking, 
Farmer  Spangler  volunteered  to  turn  in  and  help.  With  so 
strong  a  force  as  they  now  had,  they  made  short  work  of  a 
two-acre  field. 

But  Uncle  Benny  made  use  of  the  occasion  to  point  out  to 
Spangler  the  prominent  features  of  the  crop  ;  how  that  por- 
tion of  the  ground  which  had  received  the  wash  of  the  barn- 
yard was  of  unrivalled  excellence.  The  stalks  that  grew 
there  had  produced  more  ears,  and  of  better  size.  Spangler 
had  to  admit  that  it  was  the  best  two-acre  crop  ever  raised  on 


FARMING    FOR   BOYS. 


215 


the  farm.  It  measured  up  a  little  over  one  hundred  bushels 
of  shelled  corn,  — an  amount  that  satisfied  him  the  boys  would 
be  able  to  pay  back  all  they  had  borrowed.  Besides,  it  had 
been  cut  and  stacked  in  the  right  time,  so  as  to  make  the 
best  quality  of  winter  fodder. 


This  corn  crop  was,  of  course,  a  comparatively  small  thing 
on  a  large  farm.  But  it .  was  really  something  realized  out  of 
nothing,  —  that  is,  it  was  a  grain  crop  produced  where  nothing 


2l6  FARMING    FOR   BOYS. 

but  a  weed  crop  had  been  allowed  to  grow.  It  was  really  so 
much  corn  found.  If  Uncle  Benny  had  not  been  about,  there 
would  have  been  weeds  instead  of  grain. .  Its  principal  value 
consisted  in  the  lessons  of  care,  economy,  clean  tillage,  and 
manuring  which  its  cultivation  had  been  the  means  of  teach- 
ing the  boys,  to  which  may  be  added  the  powerful  spur  it 
gave  to  their  ambition  to  do  something  for  themselves.  It 
was  one  of  several  subjects  to  occupy  their  minds,  to  think  of, 
and  to  fill  up  spare  hours  agreeably,  all  having  the  character 
of  home  employments. 

Uncle  Benny's  theory  was,  as  before  mentioned,  that  if  a 
boy's  home  on  the  farm  were  only  made  attractive,  he  could 
never  be  induced  to  wander  off  to  the  city,  or  to  other  equally 
undesirable  locations.  He  considered  the  hope  of  making  a 
little  pocket  money  was  one  of  the  greatest  home  attractions 
that  could  be  invented,  and  he  was  desirous  of  proving  that 
it  could  be  realized  in  the  country  as  certainly  as  in  the  city. 
Young  people  being  naturally  active,  as  well  as  unsettled  in 
their  views,  must  be  provided  with  something  to  do,  some- 
thing useful,  honorable,  and  profitable. 

Spangler  continued  to  assist  until  the  corn  was  safe  in  the 
crib,  and  the  fodder  stacked  about  the  barn. 

"  I  don't  know  what  you  won't  make  of  these  boys,  Uncle 
Benny,"  he  observed,  when  the  job  had  been  completed. 

"  Why,  Mr.  Spangler,"  replied  the  old  man,  "  these  are  men 
in  embryo.     I  want  boys  to  be  boys,  not  old  or  wise  too  soon. 


FARMING   FOR  BOYS.  21/ 

but  giving  evidence  of  being  true  to  themselves  and  to  the 
wishes  of  their  friends.  I  like  a  rough-and-tumble  boy,  full 
of  fun  and  spirit.  But  all  such  can  be  trained  and  taught  to 
become,  not  only  little  gentlemen,  but  to  be  capable  of  taking 
care  of  themselves.  These  boys  already  show  the  coming 
manhood  in  their  behavior,  and  if  you  do  your  duty  toward 
them,  they  may  live  to  be  a  great  comfort  to  you.  If  you 
will  let  me  have  my  own  way  with  them,  at  least  in  some 
things,  I  think  another  year  will  make  a  far  better  show  than 
even  this  one  has  done." 

"  Well,  Uncle  Benny,  I  begin  to  believe  it,"  he  replied.  "  I 
guess  you  'd  better  keep  on,  and  do  as  you  like." 

There  were  several  little  jobs  about  the  farm  which  Uncle 
Benny  wanted  done  before  winter  set  in,  as  then  the  boys 
would  be  resuming  their  places  at  school.  One  of  these  was 
manuring  a  portion  of  the  great  blackberry-patch.  He  con- 
sidered the  clearing  and  cultivation  of  that  patch  as  really  a 
serious  undertaking,  something  a  little  out  of  his  line,  and 
rather  an  experiment.  He  felt,  also,  that  his  character  as  a 
teacher  of  sound  doctrine  was  somewhat  at  stake,  and  that  on 
no  account  must  he  make  a  failure.  The  whole  neighborhood 
was  aware  of  what  he  had  done,  and  expected  to  have  a  good 
laugh  over  the  bad  luck  they  had  promised  him  ;  for  he  well 
knew  that  most  persons  take  especial  delight  in  ridiculing 
whatever  looks  like  a  failure. 

As  to  the  bushes,  he  was  sure  they  would  produce  a  large 


2l8  FARMING   FOR  BOYS. 

crop,  as  the  blackberry  may  be  said  to  be  an  unfailing  bearer. 
But,  in  addition  to  securing  that,  he  was  desirous  of  ascertain- 
ing whether  the  wild  berry  could  n't  be  very  much  improved 
in  size  by  extra  manuring.  He  thought  it  could  ;  and  if  that 
were  so,  his  idea  was  that  the  increased  price  which  the 
improved  fruit  would  command  in  market  would  more  than 
refund  the  cost  of  manure.  It  was  so  with  other  plants,  and 
ought  to  be  the  same  with  any  wild  berry. 

The  boys  readily  entered  into  these  views,  taking  it  for 
granted  that  the  old  man  was  right.  But  Farmer  Spangler 
thought  very  differently,  and  concluded  it  would  be  a  shame- 
ful waste  of  manure.  He  did  n't  believe  that  taking  so  much 
pains  with  wild  blackberries  would  ever  come  to  anything. 

But  Uncle  Benny  carried  out  his  project.  Two  rows 
received  a  heavy  dressing  from  the  pig-pen  ;  two  others  were 
copiously  dressed  with  the  green  sand-marl  which  has 
achieved  such  wonders  for  every  part  of  New  Jersey  where 
that  cheap  fertilizer  has  been  freely  used  ;  and  two  more  rows 
were  dressed  with  a  mixture  from  the  pig-pen  combined  with 
Baugh's  Rawbone  Superphosphate,  —  about  a  barrel  of  the 
Rawbone  to  three  or  four  cart-loads  of  manure. 

This  Rawbone  Superphosphate  was  an  artificial  fertilizer 
of  which  Uncle  Benny  had  heard  great  things  said.  Mr. 
Allen  had  used  it  for  several  years  with  the  best  results, 
and  gave  it  the  highest  character.  All  the  other  really 
good  farmers  in  the   neighborhood   considered    it   indispen- 


FARMING  FOR  BOYS.  2ig 

sable  to  success.  It  originated  in  Philadelphia,  where  it 
is  still  manufactured  in  immense  quantities,  and  is  made 
of  raw  bones,  that  is,  bones  which  have  not  been  deprived 
of  their  gristle,  meat,  or  marrow  by  boiling.  They  are 
dissolved,  or  softened,  in  acid,  and  then  ground  up  into  a  fine 
powder.  Their  powerful  effects  on  most  crops  had  been 
so  thoroughly  proved  that  Uncle  Benny  was  determined 
to  treat  his  wild  blackberries  to  a  good  dose.  He  knew 
enough  of  agricultural  chemistry  to  feel  sure  that  a  fertilizer 
of  this  character  must  necessarily  be  extremely  serviceable 
to  any  kind  of  crop,  whether  wild  or  tame. 

That  winter  the  boys  spent  at  school.  In  addition  to 
all  the  ordinary  topics  of  conversation  which  one  generation 
of  boys  inherits  from  another,  these  had  a  variety  of  entirely 
new  ones.  Uncle  Benny  had  allowed  them  to  buy  sundry 
things  which  few  of  their  schoolmates  had  been  able  to 
obtain.  Each  one  had  a  first-rate  pocket-knife,  containing 
several  blades.  Then  they  had  beautiful  modern  skates, 
and  a  fine  gun  which  was  owned  in  common,  with  shot- 
pouch,  powder-horn,  and  game-bag.  They  also  had  a  va- 
riety of  books,  most  of  them  full  of  handsome  pictures  ;  and 
then  Uncle  Benny  had  induced  each  of  his  three  pupils  to 
subscribe  to  an  agricultural  paper. 

All  these  matters,  except  the  gun,  they  frequently  took 
with  them  to  school,  where,  during  the  recess  for  dinner, 
they  felt  proud  to  exhibit  them  to  their  wondering  school- 


220  FARMING   FOR  BOYS. 

fellows,  many  of  whom  envied  them  the  possession  of  so 
many  nice  things.  They  also  had  long  stories  to  tell  about 
their  pigs,  their  pigeons,  their  corn,  how  many  dollars  Un- 
cle Benny  had  saved  up  for  them,  what  they  intended  doing 
with  the  money,  and  what  a  great  profit  they  were  going 
to  have  from  their  blackberries.  When  setting  forth  these 
things  to  their  schoolmates,  as  they  stood  round  the  stove 
at  dinner-time,  especially  when  telling  how  much  money 
they  had  saved,  they  were  often  interrupted  with  the  re- 
mark, "  I  wish  "  I  lived  with  Uncle  Benny,"  or  "  I  wish  we 
had  Uncle  Benny  on  oitr  farm."  These  new  ingredients 
toward  boyish  happiness  made  that  the  pleasantest  winter 
they  had  ever  known. 

But  their  new  materials  for  happiness  did  not  cause  them 
to  be  less  attentive  to  their  studies.  Though  they  now 
and  then  shot  rabbits  in  the  woods,  or  hawks  in  the  open 
fields,  or  spent  a  half-day  in  skating  on  the  creek,  or  catch- 
ing fish  by  stunning  them  with  a  smart  blow  upon  the 
clear  ice  above  them,  they  still  kept  up  with  their  classes. 
In  the  long  winter  evenings  Uncle  Benny  went  over  with 
them  the  lessons  of  the  day,  ascertaining  how  they  pro- 
gressed, whether  they  understood  what  they  were  learning, 
and  explaining  to  them  the  difficult  points. 

This  outside  instruction  from  the  old  man  was  a  wonder- 
ful help,  and  gave  them  confidence  for  their  next  day's 
appearance   in   school.     Spangler's  daughters  shared  in  the 


FARMING   FOR  BOYS.  221 

advantages  of  these  evening  lectures,  while  even  their  father 
would  occasionally  put  in  a  word  of  inquiry  touching  some 
uncertain  point.  This  mode  of  spending  their  evenings 
was  a  great  change  from  what  it  had  been  before  Uncle 
Benny  took  up  his  residence  on  the  farm.  Then  it  was 
all  dulness  and  dozing,  —  now,  it  was  all  life  and  improve- 
ment. 

Among  the  articles  which  Uncle  Benny  had  permitted 
the  boys  to  purchase  was  a  set  of  chessmen.  He  taught 
them  the  game  ;  and  they,  in  turn,  taught  the  girls.  So 
fond  did  they  all  become  of  chess,  that  the  board  was  in 
very  general  demand.  To  relieve  this,  he  made  a  fox-and- 
goose  board,  and  added  checkers.  When  the  lessons  had 
all  been  rehearsed,  and  the  difficult  points  cleared  up,  then 
the  whole  family  devoted  themselves  to  reading  or  to  amuse- 
ments. An  abundance  of  nuts  had  been  gathered  by  the 
boys  for  winter  use ;  and  these,  with  cider,  sometimes  ter- 
ribly hard,  were  regularly  served  up.  Reading  aloud  was 
frequent,  both  boys  and  girls  being  encouraged  to  improve 
themselves  by  practice.  Then  the  long  winter  evenings 
were  never  considered  dull. 

Uncle  Benny  had  insensibly  remodelled  the  mental  hab- 
its of  the  entire  family.  The  girls  had  procured  photo- 
graphs of  themselves,  of  their  parents,  and  even  of  Uncle 
Benny.  They  had  purchased  some  books,  and  obtained 
others  from  the  Trenton  library.     The  boys,  too,  had   been 


222  FARMING   FOR  BOYS. 

allowed  to  have  their  pictures  taken.  All  these  innocent 
gratifications  came  from  the  trifling  fund  which  their  in- 
dustry on  the  pigs  and  blackberries  had  produced.  But, 
cheap  and  unpretending  though  they  were,  yet  they  made 
home  bright  and  cheerful.  It  was  one  of  Uncle  Benny's 
ways  of  making  farm  life  and  farm  labor  attractive. 

A  distinguished  American  writer  says :  "  The  training 
and  improvement  of  the  physical,  intellectual,  social,  and 
moral  powers  and  sentiments  of  the  youth  of  our  coun- 
try require  something  more  than  the  school-house,  acade- 
my, college,  and  university.  The  young  mind  should  re- 
ceive judicious  training  in  the  field,  in  the  garden,  in 
the  barn,  in  the  workshop,  in  the  parlor,  in  the  kitchen,  — 
in  a  word,  around  the  hearthstone  at  home.  Whatever  in- 
tellectual attainments  your  son  may  have  acquired,  he  is 
unfit  to  go  forth  into  society,  if  he  has  not  had  thrown 
around  him  the  genial  and  purifying  influences  of  parents, 
sisters,  brothers,  and  the  man-saving  influence  of  the  fam- 
ily government.  The  nation  must  look  for  virtue,  wisdom, 
and  strength  to  the  education  that  controls  and  shapes 
the  home  policy  of  the  family  circle.  There  can  be  no  love 
of  country  where  there  is  no  love  of  home.  Patriotism, 
true  and  genuine,  the  only  kind  worthy  of  the  name,  derives 
its  mighty  strength  from  fountains  that  gush  out  around 
the  hearthstone ;  and  those  who  forget  to  cherish  the  house- 
hold interests  will  soon  learn  to  look  with  indifference  upon 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  223 

the  interests  of  their  common  country.  We  must  cultivate 
the  roots,  —  not  the  tops.  We  must  make  \}!\^  family  gov- 
ernment, the  school,  the  farm,  the  church,  the  shop,  the 
agricultural  fairs,  the  laboratories  of  our  future  greatness. 
We  must  educate  our  sons  to  be  farmers,  artisans,  archi- 
tects, engineers,  geologists,  botanists,  chemists,  —  in  a  word, 
practical  men.  Their  eyes  must  be  turned  from  Washing- 
ton to  their  States,  counties,  townships,  districts,  homes!' 

But  though  the  winter  was  passing  with  them  more 
pleasantly  than  ever  before,  yet  it  was  with  renewed  satis- 
faction that  the  boys  beheld  the  first  indications  of  returning 
spring.  Their  pigeons  had  prospered,  their  corn  crop  held 
out  famously,  their  stock  of  pigs  had  been  augmented  by 
a  new  litter  of  ten,  and  all  had  been  kept  so  watchfully 
that  they  came  through  the  cold  weather  in  the  best  pos- 
sible condition.  The  boys  were  thus  in  high  spirits  over 
what  the  future  was  to  bring  forth ;  their  rainbow  of  hope 
being  gorgeous  in  its  tints,  and  stretching  from  horizon  to 
horizon. 

Their  claim  to  the  two-acre  cornfield  being  undisputed, 
Uncle  Benny  had  it  ploughed  up  very  early  in  March,  as  the 
frost  had  long  since  disappeared.  Luckily  enough  for  the 
old  man's  projects,  Spangler  was  accustomed  to  keep  on  the 
farm  so  many  more  horses  than  he  needed,  that  the  former 
could  generally  have  the  use  of  a  team  whenever  his  little 
jobs  required  the  running  of  a  plough.     He  first  ran  it  along 


224  FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 

the  corn  rows,  and  loosened  the  roots ;  whereupon  all  hands 
turned  in  and  gathered  them  into  a  cart,  and  then  threw 
them  into  a  pile  in  a  by-place.  They  were  afterwards  com- 
posted with  sods,  by  which  the  decaying  process  was  started, 
under  the  operation  of  which  a  single  year  would  crumble  the 
whole  mass  into  a  heap  of  good  manure,  to  which  marl  was 
afterwards  added. 

These  unsightly  corn  roots  being  out  of  the  way,  Tony 
King  was  able  to  do  the  subsequent  ploughing  very  hand- 
somely. Starting  with  a  perfectly  straight  furrow,  he  turned 
over  the  succeeding  ones  with  beautiful  regularity.  As  most 
of  this  section  of  New  Jersey  possesses  a  fine  loamy  soil, 
without  rocks  or  stones,  a  smart  and  careful  boy  of  his  age 
can  do  as  much  work  as  a  man.  The  field  was  then  har- 
rowed ready  for  the  coming  crop. 

"  What 's  to  go  in  now,  Uncle  Benny  .? "  inquired  Spangler. 
"  Cabbages,  I  suppose  ?  *' 

"  Not  exactly,"  replied  the  old  man.  ''  I  can't  afford  to 
raise  cabbages.  A  bushel  of  them  is  worth  only  half  a  dollar, 
sometimes  not  even  that ;  but  a  bushel  of  strawberries,  even 
at  wholesale,  will  be  worth  six  dollars,  —  twelve  times  as 
much.     We  go  in  for  what  will  pay  best." 

"But  we  never  raised  strawberries  here,"  rejoined  Span- 
gler. 

"  So  much  the  worse  for  you.  It  is  high  time  for  some  of 
us  to  begin,"  replied  the  old  man. 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  22$ 

So  Uncle  Benny  had  determined  to  plant  strawberries  and 
raspberries,  an  acre  of  each.  Money  enough  had  been  saved 
to  buy  the  plants ;  so  they  were  purchased,  and  the  ground 
planted.  For  the  strawberries  deep  furrows  were  opened, 
five  feet  apart,  which  the  boys  filled  from  the  great  pile  of 
manure  they  had  saved,  the  value  of  which  they  were  now 
able  to  understand.  On  this  they  scattered  great  quantities 
of  the  Rawbone  Superphosphate  before  mentioned,  until  the 
surface  looked  as  if  there  had  been  a  young  snow-storm. 
Then  the  manure  was  covered  over  by  turning  a  furrow  from 
each  side  ;  after  which  the  original  furrow  was  re-opened. 
This  repeated  working  completely  mixed  up  the  manure  and 
the  Rawbone  with  the  soil.  The  boys  thought  it  more  labor 
than  was  necessary,  and  Spangler  thought  Uncle  Benny  would 
never  be  done  getting  ready.  But  he  warned  them  all,  that 
the  first  condition  for  success  in  fruit-growing  must  be  the 
proper  preparation  of  the  ground,  and  plenty  of  manure  well 
mixed  through  the  soil. 

The  plants  were  then  set  out  by  the  boys,  about  twenty 
inches  apart  in  the  rows.  Uncle  Benny  directing.  He  was 
too  old  and  rheumatic  to  do  this  work  himself,  but  he  did  the 
looking  on  very  faithfully  until  the  job  had  been  completed. 
Afterwards,  he  had  a  single  grain  of  the  best  sugar  corn 
planted  between  every  two  strawberry  hills,  as  is  the  univer- 
sal custom  in  this  part  of  New  Jersey  when  a  strawberry 
field  is  first  set  out.  When  the  ground  has  been  properly 
15 


226  FARMING  FOR  BOYS. 

enriched,  it  is  considered  a  good  practice,  as  the  shade  cre- 
ated by  the  growing  corn  is  useful  in  protecting  the  young 
plants  from  the  hot  sun  in  a  dry  season,  while  the  corn  crop 
will  enable  the  owner  to  reaUze  a  good  sum  of  money  at  the 
same  time  that  his  strawberries  are  being  established.  A 
crop  of  sugar  corn,  thus  managed,  will  more  than  pay  the 
expense  of  getting  the  strawberries  under  way.  This  sugar 
corn  produces  a  very  short  stalk,  which  is  cut  off  and  taken 
away  about  the  time  the  runners  begin  to  put  out,  then  leav- 
ing the  strawberries  in  full  possession  of  the  ground. 

The  other  acre  was  treated  exactly  in  the  same  way  for 
raspberries,  except  that  the  rows  were  made  six  feet  apart, 
and  the  roots  set  four  feet  asunder  in  the  rows.  The  tops 
were  also  cut  off  to  within  six  inches  of  the  ground.  Then 
sugar  corn  was  planted  all  through  the  rows,  the  same  as 
among  the  strawberries.  This  arrangement  would  secure, 
the  very  first  season,  a  cash  crop  from  the  whole  field,  at  the 
same  time  that  the  ground  was  being  stocked  with  plants 
that  would  pay  a  much  better  profit  the  next  season. 

As  may  be  supposed,  the  cost  of  plants  for  these  two  acres 
made  quite  a  hole  in  the  money  saved  from  the  pigs  and 
blackberries.  But  the  boys  did  not  regret  this.  Their  rea- 
sonable wants  had  all  been  gratified,  and  under  Uncle  Ben- 
ny's exhortations  they  had  lost  most  of  their  first  itching  for 
immediately  spending  their  money.  They  had  already  begun 
to  understand  a  little  of  the  importance  of  saving.     Besides, 


FARMING   FOR  BOYS.  22/ 

when  talking  over  this  matter  among  themsekes,  Uncle 
Benny  was  particular  to  explain  to  them  that  this  expendi- 
ture for  plants,  and  for  the  indispensable  Rawbone,  must  not 
be  regarded  as  an  expenscy  but  only  as  an  investment^  —  that 
is,  something  laid  out  this  year  to  be  returned  with  a  great 
increase  in  a  future  one.  He  showed  them  that,  if  they  had 
put  out  a  hundred  dollars  at  interest,  they  would  receive 
only  seven  dollars  increase  at  the  year's  end ;  but  that 
if  they  invested  it  in  plants  and  manure,  as  they  had  now 
done,  they  would  be  pretty  certain  to  get  the  whole  amount 
back  in  little  more  than  the  same  period,  and  still  have  their 
plants,  as  well  as  the  increase,  and  that  this  return  would 
no  doubt  be  realized  every  year  thereafter. 
Spangler  heard  this  lecture,  and  observed,  — 
"  Then  you  think  the  more  money  a  man  spends  for  ma- 
nure, the  better  it  is  for  him  .?  Why,  if  I  were  to  manure  my 
farm  as  you  do  these  two  acres,  the  sheriff  would  sell  me 
out." 

"  No,  Mr.  Spangler,  he  will  be  more  likely  to  sell  you  out 
if  you  do  not,"  replied  Uncle  Benny.  "  You  will  never  get 
your  farm  out  of  debt  until  you  make  and  buy  a  great  deal 
more  than  you  do.  You  are  now  trying  the  very  worst 
experiment  a  farmer  can,  that  is,  trying  to  see  how  little 
manure  you  can  get  along  with.  If  you  would  sell  half  your 
farm,  and  invest  the  money  in  enriching  the  other  half,  you 
would  be  much  more  likely  to  get  along." 


228  FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 

But  Spangler  was  not  to  be  moved  in  his  old-time  opinions 
by  any  exhortatioils  of  this  kind.  It  was  a  greater  satisfaction 
to  him  to  think  that  he  was  the  owner  of  a  hUndred  acres  of 
poor  land,  than  to  be  cut  down  to  only  fifty,  even  if  the  profit 
were  really  more. 

As  this  business  of  berry  culture  was  a  new  one  on  the  Span- 
gler farm,  and  would  require  the  frequent  use  of  hoes.  Uncle 
Benny  was  thoughtful  enough  to  provide  an  assortment  of 
new  ones  of  the  best  quality,  with  nice,  light  handles,  such  as 
a  young  boy  could  labor  with  and  not  be  tired  out  under 
their  mere  weight.  They  were  fully  equal  to  those  Mr.  Allen 
had  provided  for  his  boys..  He  also  furnished  each  with  a 
short,  flat  file,  having  a  smooth  handle  and  a  broad  end,  which 
could  be  safely  carried  in  the  pocket,  so  that  there  never 
need  be  a  dull  hoe  in  the  field. 

When  the  strawberries  and  raspberries  had  recovered 
from  the  shock  of  being  transplanted,  and  were  growing 
finely,  the  weeds,  as  if  determined  not  to  be  outdone,  began 
to  do  their  share  of  growing  also.  But  the  light,  keen  hoes 
which  the  boys  flourished  about  among  them  made  quick 
and  thorough  work  whenever  they  poked  up  their  unwel- 
come heads.  The  strawberries  blossomed  finely.  Uncle 
Benny  wanted  all  the  bloom  clipped  ofl",  as  he  said  the 
plants,  not  having  yet  acquired  new  roots,  would  have  too 
much  to  do  to  recover  themselves  and  bear  a  crop  of  fruit 
also.     But  Mrs.  Spangler  and  the  girls  pleaded  so  strongly 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  229 

with  him  to  let  the  blossoms  remain,  so  that  they  could 
have  a  little  fruit  that  summer,  that  he  gave  way  and  let 
them  alone.  But  he  was  satisfied  it  would  be  much  better 
for  the  plants  to  be  prevented  from  bearing  the  first  season. 
As  it  turned  out,  there  was  only  a  moderate  yield  of  fruit, 
but  yet  quite  enough  to  gratify  the  wishes  of  the  girls. 
The  truth  was,  that  the  old  man  relished  his  share  of  the 
supply  about  as  much  as  any  of  the  family. 


230  FARMING  FOR  BOYS. 


CHAPTER    XV. 

The  old  Field  again.  —  Poverty  a  good  Thing.  —  Gathering  thb 
Crop.  —  A  great  Profit.  —  Stopping  the  Croakers.  —  The  Secret 
OF  Success. 

X  X /"HILE  these  events  were  transpiring  on  the  two  acres, 
^  ^  a  very  different  state  of  things  was  exhibited  on 
the  blackberry  field.  The  plough  and  cultivator  had  been 
several  times  run  over  the  ground  between  the  rows,  mak- 
ing everything  clean  and  mellow,  all  which  had  been  done 
by  the  boys  ;  and  now  the  rows  were  covered  with  an  as- 
tonishing profusion  of  blossoms.  From  the  long  branches, 
which  had  been  shortened  in  the  fall,  a  multitude  of  shoots 
had  grown  out,  and  were  now  white  with  bloom.  It  was 
a  really  magnificent  display,  such  as  the  "old  field"  in  its 
former  days  had  never  presented.  One  side  of  it  came  up 
to  the  road  fence,  so  that  every  one  who  passed  by  could 
look  down  the  rows,  and  have  a  full  view  of  how  nicely 
the  ground  was  kept,  and  of  the  great  promise  it  gave  of 
a  bountiful  crop. 

Until  this  season  the  "old  field"  had  been  an  eyesore 
to  the  neighborhood,  giving  token  of  the  most  slovenly  kind 
of  farming.  But  now  it  was  directly  the  reverse.  Still, 
of  those  who  saw  and  admired  the  change,  almost  every 
one  had  a  few  words  of  joking   for   Uncle  Benny  and  the 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  23 1 

boys  when  they  saw  them  cultivating  or  hoeing  in  it.  The 
only  neighbors  who  encouraged  them  to  persevere  were  Mr. 
Allen  and  his  sons.  But  such  is  generally  the  reward  of 
agricultural  effort  in  any  direction  different  from  the  old 
routine.  There  are  plenty  to  laugh  at  the  pioneer,  and 
few  to  encourage  him. 

One  day  when  the  party  came  up  to  the  fence,  at  the 
end  of  a  row  they  had  just  been  cleaning,  they  were  accosted 
in  a  very  coarse  way  by  a  neighbor  who  was  known  to  be 
the  laziest  and  worst-mannered  fellow  in  the  township.  He 
had  mounted  the  top  rail,  and  there  sat  until  they  came 
up  to  him. 

"  Well,  blackberry  farmers  ! "  said  he,  "  you  begin  poor, 
you  '11  keep  poor,  and  you  '11  die  poor  ! " 

"You're  a  fool!"  repUed  Tony  King,  with  an  energy 
that  showed  how  strongly  he  resented  the  rude  speech  of 
the  loafer. 

"  Hush,  Tony  ! "  interrupted  Uncle  Benny ;  "  let  him  have 
his  own  idle  way,  and  let  us  pursue  ours.  We  shall  see 
which  of  us  will  first  go  to  the  poor-house.     Come,  boys ! " 

Then  starting  on  another  row,  they  left  the  rude  fellow 
to  his  own  thoughts.  After  getting  away  down  the  row, 
clear  out  of  sight  and  hearing.  Uncle  Benny  halted  the 
boys  from  their  work,  and  drew  a  small  book  from  his  pock- 
et. He  had  been  all  the  time  thinking  of  the  sneer  which 
the  loafer  had  made  at  the  boys  being  poor,  as  if  poverty 


232  FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 

were  the  worst  thing  in  the  world  that  could  happen  to 
them  ;  and  he  was  desirous  of  correcting  any  wrong  im- 
pression that  even  this  worthless  fellow  might  have  made 
upon  their  minds. 

"  Now,  boys,"  he  said,  as  each  leaned  upon  his  hoe,  "  this 
fellow  you  left  on  the  fence  seems  to  think  the  worst  lot 
for  a  boy  is  to  be  born  poor." 

"Well,  it's  pretty  bad,"  replied  Tony  King. 

"But  it  is  not  so,"  rejoined  the  old  man.  "Let  me  read 
you  what  is  said  by  a  man  who  knows  probably  as  much 
as  all  of  us  together.  His  name  is  Titcomb,  and  he  has 
written  a  great  many  lively  and  sensible  books.  Now  lis- 
ten," and  he  read  as  follows:  — 

"  If  there  is  anything  in  the  world  that  a  young  man  should  be 
more  thankful  for  than  another,  it  is  the  poverty  which  necessitates 
his  starting  in  life  under  very  great  disadvantages.  Poverty  is  one 
of  the  best  tests  of  human  quality  in  existence.  A  triumph  over  it 
is  like  graduating  with  honor  from  West  Point.  It  demonstrates 
stuff  and  stamina.  It  is  a  certificate  of  worthy  labor  creditably  per- 
formed. A  young  man  who  cannot  stand  the  test  is  not  worth  any- 
thing. He  can  never  rise  above  a  drudge  or  a  pauper.  A  young 
man  who  cannot  feel  his  will  harden  as  the  yoke  of  poverty  presses 
upon  him,  and  his  pluck  rise  with  every  difficulty  poverty  throws  in 
his  way,  may  as  well  retire  into  some  corner  and  hide  himself  Pov- 
erty saves  a  thousand  times  more  than  it  ruins ;  for  it  only  ruins 
those  who  are  not  particularly  worth  saving,  while  it  saves  multitudes 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  23* 

of  those  whom  wealth  would  have  ruined.  If  any  young  man  who 
reads  this  is  so  unfortunate  as  to  be  rich,  I  give  him  my  pity.  ] 
pity  you,  my  rich  young  friend,  because  you  are  in  danger.  You 
lack  one  stimulus  to  effort  and  excellence  which  your  poor  com 
panion  possesses.  You  will  be  very  apt,  if  you  have  a  soft  spot  in 
your  head,  to  think  yourself  above  him  ;  and  that  sort  of  thing  makes 
you  mean,  and  injures  you.  With  full  pockets  and  full  stomach,  and 
fine  linen  and  broadcloth  on  your  back,  your  heart  and  soul  pletho- 
ric, in  the  race  of  life  you  will  find  yourself  surpassed  by  all  the 
poor  boys  around  you  before  you  know  it. 

"  No,  my  boy,  if  you  are  poor,  thank  God,  and  take  courage  ;  for 
he  intends  to  give  you  a  chance  to  make  something  of  yourself. 
If  you  had  plenty  of  money,  ten  chances  to  one  it  would  spoil  you 
for  all  useful  purposes.  Do  you  lack  education  ?  Have  you  been 
cut  short  in  your  text-book  ?  Remember  that  education,  like  some 
other  things,  does  not  consist  in  the  multitude  of  things  a  man  pos- 
sesses. 

"What  can  you  do?  That  is  the  question  that  settles  the  busi- 
ness for  you.  Do  you  know  your  business  ?  Do  you  know  men, 
and  how  to  deal  with  them  ?  Has  your  mind,  by  any  means  what- 
soever, received  that  discipline  which  gives  to  its  action  power  and 
facility  ?  If  so,  then  you  are  more  of  a  man  and  a  thousand  times 
better  educated  than  the  fellow  who  graduates  from  college  with  his 
brains  full  of  stuff  that  he  cannot  apply  to  the  practical  business  of 
life,  —  stuff,  the  acquisition  of  which  has  been  in  no  sense  a  discipli- 
nary process  as  far  as  he  is  concerned." 

"  Well,"  observed  Tony,  when  the  reading  was  over,  "  that 


234  FARMING  FOR  BOYS. 

does  me  good.  I  think  I  feel  better  for  it,"  and,  in  fact,  there 
was  a  general  expression  in  favor  of  Mr.  Titcomb's  views, 
which  was  continued  at  intervals  during  the  remainder  of  that 
day's  work.  On  the  whole,  Uncle  Benny  thought  the  rude 
taunt  of  the  loafer  had  proved  rather  an  advantage  than  oth- 
erwise. 

But  every  seed-time  has  its  harvest.  So  this  care  on  the 
blackberries  was  now  about  to  be  rewarded.  In  July  the  ber- 
ries had  turned  black,  and  were  beginning  to  ripen.  Uncle 
Benny  had  carefully  watched  the  gradual  swelling  of  the  fruit 
as  it  approached  its  full  size,  anxious  to  know  whether  the  cul- 
tivated berry  would  be  any  larger  and  better  than  the  wild 
one.  In  these  examinations  he  called  in  the  critical  eyes  of 
the  boys  to  know  if  they  could  discover  any  improvement 
over  old  times.  The  unanimous  conclusion  was  that  there 
could  be  no  mistake  about  the  matter,  and  that  the  berries 
were  certainly  larger  and  better. 

Then  as  to  the  different  manures  they  had  applied.  The 
two  rows  dressed  with  marl  were  excellent,  as  marl  is  well 
known  throughout  New  Jersey  as  a  valuable  fertilizer,  though 
not  so  quickly  showing  its  .effects  as  some  other  manures. 
Those  dressed  from  the  pig-pen  were  much  better,  while  the 
two  which  had  received  a  mixed  dressing  of  manure  and 
Baugh's  Rawbone  far  exceeded  all  the  others.  The  berries 
were  fuller  in  size,  and  Uncle  Benny  thought  they  ripened 
a  day  or  two  in  advance.     These  different  jnanures  having 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  235 

been  applied  in  the  fall,  the  winter  and  spring  rains  had  car- 
ried their  fertilizing  juices  down  to  the  roots,  thus  producing 
an  immediate  result. 

A  great  many  small  boxes  were  procured,  each  holding  a 
quart,  and  these  were  placed  in  chests  or  crates  which  con- 
tained some  thirty  of  them.  In  this  condition  the  fruit  was  to 
be  sent  to  market. 

It  was  really  a  fine  sight  to  behold  this  blackberry  field 
when  it  was  fully  ripe  for  the  pickers.  Both  boys  and  girls 
turned  in  with  hearty  good-will  at  picking  ;  and  to  these  were 
added  a  dozen  other  children  about  the  same  age,  some  even 
quitting  school  to  secure  the  high  wages  that  a  smart  picker 
'can  always  earn  upon  a  good  crop.  The  price  for  picking 
being  two  cents  a  quart,  it  was  an  easy  thing  for  the  smart 
hands  to  earn  from  a  dollar  to  a  dollar  and  a  half  per  day. 
Such  pay,  in  all  the  berry  neighborhoods,  is  a  most  important 
help  to  multitudes  of  poor  families.  During  the  fruit  season 
the  younger  members  quit  all  other  employments  and  turn 
out  as  pickers,  so  that  there  is  never  any  scarcity  of  help.  In 
fact.  Uncle  Benny  was  astonished  at  the  number  that  applied 
for  employment.  They  seemed  to  spring  out  of  the  ground, 
and  he  was  obliged  to  turn  many  away. 

The  old  man  acted  as  boss,  or  foreman  ;  that  is,  he  gave  out 
the  empty  boxes  to  the  pickers,  who  filled  and  returned  them 
to  him  at  his  head-quarters  under  the  shade  of  a  tree.  Here 
he  examined  the  contents,  to  see  that  no  green  fruit  had  been 


236  FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 

gathered,  and  that  each  box  was  full,  whereupon  he  gave  the 
picker  a  ticket  for  every  box  ;  and  these  tickets  being  handed 
in  to  him  when  the  day's  work  was  done,  each  picker's  account 
was  quickly  calculated.  They  all  received  their  money,  and 
went  home  rejoicing. 

The  boxes,  when  found  to  be  all  right,  were  placed  in  the 
chests,  and,  the  lid  being  secured,  they  were  ready  for  market. 
Having  previously  agreed  with  a  fruit-dealer  in  Trenton  to 
receive  and  sell  his  crop,  nothing  more  was  necessary  than  to 
drive  a  few  miles,  and  the  chests  were  in  the  hands  of  the 
agent.  This  gentleman  charged  a  commission  for  the  trouble 
of  selling,  and  returned  the  net  proceeds  once  a  week. 

Though  only  the  common  wild  blackberry,  yet,  being  put' 
up  in  clean  boxes,  they  brought  a  better  price  than  such  as 
came  to  market  in  dirty  old  tin  pans  and  wooden  buckets. 
Probably  one  lot  tasted  as  good  as  the  other  ;  but  the  supe- 
rior style  in  which  Uncle  Benny  presented  his  to  purchasers 
made  them  sell  quickly,  as  well  as  bring  more  than  enough 
advance  in  price  to  pay  him  for  his  extra  care.  It  is  pretty 
much  the  same  way  with  all  the  fruit  that  goes  to  market; 
the  careful  man  gets  paid  for  his  care,  and  a  profit  besides. 

The  crop  produced  nearly  four  hundred  dollars  clear  of  all 
expenses  of  picking  and  taking  to  market  and  selling.  This 
result  almost  confounded  Farmer  Spangler,  who  had  never 
dreamed  of  having  such  a  gold  mine  in  the  "  old  field."  He 
half  regretted  having  given  it  up  to  its  present  management. 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  237 

The  news  soon  spread  round  the  neighborhood,  among  those 
who  had  ridiculed  Uncle  Benny  and  the  boys  about  their 
blackberry  patch  ;  for  the  old  man  took  pains  to  let  all  the 
particulars  be  known,  and  the  boys  boasted  of  it  wherever 
they  went.  They  completely  turned  the  laugh  against  the 
croakers.  Some  of  the  latter  became  so  envious  of  their  suc- 
cess as  to  wish  that  they  owned  the  patch,  or  had  one  like  it 
on  their  own  land. 

But  though  this  large  profit  had  been  made,  yet  a  consider- 
able sum  had  to  be  refunded  to  Uncle  Benny  for  expenses 
incurred  by  him  in  clearing  up  the  wilderness  of  bushes  into 
rows,  as  well  as  in  providing  boxes  and  chests.  But  these 
last  were  only  an  investment,  not  a  mere  expense.  They 
would  all  be  wanted  another  year  for  the  same  crop,  and  also 
for  the  other  berries,  and  if  the  boys  ever  gave  up  the  busi- 
ness, they  could  sell  them  for  probably  three  fourths  of  the 
cost.  And  when  these  drafts  on  the  sum  total  of  profit  had 
been  deducted,  there  was  still  about  two  hundred  and  fifty 
dollars  left.  This  Uncle  Benny  divided  into  four  equal  sums, 
one  for  Spangler,  and  one  for  each  of  the  boys.  He  then 
took  the  latter  to  Trenton,  where  there  was  a  savings-bank, 
and  deposited  every  one's  share  in  his  own  name.  The 
boys  went  along,  that  they  might  learn  how  such  things 
were  done,  as  Tony  said  he  did  n't  know  but  they  might  be 
wanting  to  make  more  deposits  before  long.  They  were  all 
quite  set  up  with  the  idea  of  having  money  at  interest. 


238  FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 

It  was  not  of  much  consequence,  in  Uncle  Benny's  opinion, 
how  small  the  sum  was  to  each.  What  he  valued  most  was 
the  fact  that  he  had  succeeded  in  teaching  the  boys  how  to 
farm  profitably,  to  save  their  profits,  and  to  make  a  beginning 
in  the  science  of  thriving  and  economizing.  He  had  allowed 
them  to  spend  enough  to  gratify  all  their  moderate  wants, 
such  as,  when  gratified,  would  make  them  entirely  happy.  It 
was  simply  the  surplus  that  he  wanted  them  to  save,  well 
knowing  that,  if  not  put  beyond  the  reach  of  every-day  temp- 
tation, it  would  soon  be  gone. 

Now,  Spangler's  girls  had  made  quite  a  snug  little  sum  at 
picking,  far  more  than  they  had  ever  had  a  chance  of  earn- 
ing ;  for  the  young  people  on  that  farm  had  very  few  encour- 
aging opportunities  until  Uncle  Benny  appeared  among  them. 
He  did  not  undertake  to  interfere  with  the  girls'  money.  But 
he  observed  that  Nancy  Spangler,  the  eldest,  invested  most 
of  hers  in  dry  goods  of  different  kinds ;  and  that  the  larger 
portion  of  her  time  was  occupied  in  making  up  sheets,  bed- 
quilts,  pillow-cases  and  rag-carpet,  as  if  she  soon  expected  to 
have  use  for  them.  He  had  noticed  that  a  smart  young 
farmer,  who  lived  near  by,  came  very  frequently  to  see  Nancy  ; 
and,  putting  those  visits  and  Nancy's  sheets  and  bedquilts 
together,  he  let  in  an  idea  that  there  must  be  something  going 
on  between  the  young  people  which  would  some  day  make  a 
house  as  desirable  as  anything  that  dry  goods  could  be  turned 
into.     Hence  he  did  not  venture  to  financier  for  Nancy.     He 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  239 

thought  she  was  doing  well  enough,  and  that  her  beau  could 
do  what  financiering  she  needed. 

There  was  no  denying  it  that  Tony  King  was  prodigiously 
set  up  about  his  share  of  the  general  profit ;  and  it  was 
^  noticed  that,  in  talking  to  other  boys  about  his  good  luck,  he 
put  on  some  strange  airs  of  superiority,  evidently  showing 
that  he  began  to  think  himself  a  little  great  man  among  those 
who  had  not  been  so  fortunate.  Uncle  Benny  once  overheard 
him  at  this,  and  soon  put  a  stop  to  it. 

"  I  must  tell  you,  Tony,"  said  he,  "  that  great  men  never 
swell.     Mr.  Titcomb  says :  — 

"  *  It  is  only  your  three-cent  individuals,  who  are  salaried  at  the 
rate  of  two  hundred  dollars  a  year,  and  dine  on  potatoes  and  dried 
herring,  who  put  on  airs  and  flashy  waistcoats,  swell,  blow,  and 
endeavor  to  give  themselves  a  consequential  appearance.  No  dis- 
criminating person  need  ever  mistake  the  spurious  for  the  genuine 
article.  The  difference  between  the  two  is  as  great  as  that  between 
a  barrel  of  vinegar  and  a  bottle  of  the  pure  juice  of  the  grape.'  '* 

Then  on  another  occasion  Tony  wanted  Uncle  Benny  to 
go  in  and  have  their  brier-patch  made  three  times  as  large, 
and  they  would  make  three  times  as  much  money.  But  the 
old  man  said  he  did  n't  know  about  that ;  he  thought  they 
had  as  much  now,  of  different  things,  as  they  could  well 
manage.  They  were  only  beginners,  and  must  move  ahead 
cautiously.      He   told   him   that    judicious    improvement   or 


240  rA.iJMiNCr   ^OR   BOYS. 

enlargOHteiii  rnuryt  j)roo^rcss  step  by  step,  and  not  by  great 
double  leaps  '\s  he  proposea  They  must  not  undertake  too 
much.  If  he  htid  w't  enough  to  do,  the  best  way  for  him  to 
occupy  his  spare  time  and  thought  would  be  to  build  up 
more  compost  heaps,  as  having  abundance  of  them  would  be 
found  equivalent  to  having  twice  as  much  land  in  berries. 

"  The  fact  is,  Tony,"  said  the  old  man,  "  you  are  like  most 
others,  —  you  want  to  undertake  too  much  land.  It  has  been 
long  ago  ascertained  that  one  acre,  under  an  intelligent  and 
enlightened  system  of  cultivation,  will  yield  as  much  clear 
profit  as  five  or  six  acres  tilled  in  an  ignorant  and  slovenly 
manner.  Look  at  the  farm  you  are  living  on.  Why,  our  six 
acres  of  berries  have  paid  a  greater  profit  than  any  twenty  of 
Mr.  Spangler's.  Wait  until  you  grow  stronger,  that  is,  until 
you  have  acquired  some  capital  of  your  own  ;  and  by  that 
time  I  hope  you  will  have  learned  to  understand  these 
matters  better,  and  when  you  do  go  ahead,  to  go  with 
moderation." 

"  Then  can't  we  have  a  peach-orchard  ?  "  rejoined  Tony. 

"  Not  yet,"  replied  the  old  man ;  "  you  have  your  hands 
full  now." 

"Then,"  added  Tony  with  great  emphasis,  at  the  same 
time  slapping  his  hands  together,  "  I  '11  have  a  farm  of  my 
own ! " 

"Ah,  now  you  're  getting  on  the  right  track,"  rejoined 
Uncle  Benny.     "  Go  on  as  you  are  doing  at  present,  and  I 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  24I 

have  no  doubt  in  good  time  you  will  have  one.  What  is 
more,  show  yourself  to  be  steady,  industrious,  honest,  and 
obliging,  and  friends  will  spring  up  to  give  you  a  lift  when 
you  don't  look  for  them." 

It  must  not  be  supposed  that,  while  these  interesting  inci- 
dents were  occurring,  the  plants  in  the  two  acres  devoted  to 
berries  were  standing  still,  or  that  they  had  required  no 
attention.  On  the  contrary,  they  needed  even  more  care 
than  when  the  field  had  been  planted  exclusively  in  corn. 
Soon  after  the  blackberries  had  ripened,  the  corn  was  cut  and 
taken  to  market,  where  it  sold  for  more  than  enough  money 
to  pay  for  the  plants  which  had  been  purchased.  Then  in 
August  the  strawberries  began  to  send  out  a  profusion  of 
runners.  The  Rawbone  had  evidently  imparted  an  extraordi- 
nary vigor  to  the  plants,  as  was  shown  by  this  ability  to  pro- 
duce so  vast  a  quantity  of  runners.  Uncle  Benny  employed 
the  girls  to  clip  them  off  with  scissors  as  fast  as  they 
appeared.  This  job  had  to  be  done  once  a  week,  during  the 
growing  season  ;  but  the  old  man  had  it  done  thoroughly. 
It  cost  a  few  dollars,  but  then  it  enabled  the  girls  to  earn  a 
little  pocket-money;  besides,  the  old  man  felt  satisfied  it 
would  be  a  good  investment  on  the  small  field  he  was  over- 
seeing. 

One  day  when  Spangler  was  about  beginning  to  husk  out 
his  corn  crop,  he  came  up  to  where  Uncle  Benny  and  the 
boys  were  standing,  with  an  expression  of  considerable 
16 


242  FARMING  FOR   BOYS. 

anxiety  on  his  countenance,  and  inquired  of  the  old  man 
how  they  expected  to  feed  their  pigs  and  pigeons  the  next 
winter. 

"  Last  year  you  had  corn,"  said  he,  "  but  now  you  've  got 
nothing  but  berries." 

"Why,"  replied  the  old  man,  "we  shall  feed  them  on 
yours.  We  can't  afford  to  raise  corn.  It  is  cheaper  for  us  to 
buy  corn  than  to  raise  it.  I  will  take  my  one  acre  of  straw- 
berries, and  next  season  will  get  as  much  money  from  it  as 
will  pay  for  all  the  corn  you  can  raise  on  ten  acres.  You 
never  yet  had  over  thirty-five  bushels  to  the  acre,  at  a  dol- 
lar a  bushel ;  but  I  shall  have  at  least  eighty  bushels  of 
strawberries,  and  will  clear  five  dollars  a  bushel  from  them. 
Now,  how  can  we  afford  to  raise  corn  ?  Do  you  think  that 
you  can  afford  to  do  so,  when  you  are  within  reach  of  a  great 
city  market }  You  see,  Mr.  Spangler,  everybody  raises  corn, 
but  only  a  few  persons  raise  fruit." 

Spangler  stood  with  his  hands  in  his  pockets,  but  said 
nothing,  and  Uncle  Benny  continued  his  lecture  to  an 
appreciative  audience  of  four. 

"  You  see,  Mr.  Spangler,  it  is  not  the  quantity  of  land  a 
man  has,  but  the  use  to  which  he  puts  it,  that  makes  him  rich 
or  keeps  him  poor.  There  is  your  '  Old  Field,'  which  you 
put  to  growing  briers,  but  which  we  put  to  growing  berries, 
and  you  know  the  result.  I  told  you  it  could  be  made  to  pay 
off  your  mortgage.     If  we  had  had  an  improved  variety  of 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  243 

blackberry,  such  as  the  Lawton,  our  receipts  would  have  been 
three  or  four  times  as  much  as  they  were.  It  costs  no  more 
to  raise  the  best  than  it  does  to  produce  the  poorest.  But 
we  took  what  we  could  get,  and  what  no  one  else  would  have. 
Still,  this  shows  what  may  be  accomplished  when  a  man  is 
determined  to  make  the  best  of  circumstances.  It  proves, 
moreover,  that  there  is  sometimes  great  value  in  things  which 
careless  people  neglect  as  worthless. 

"  Now,"  continued  the  old  man,  "  if  you  were  to  sell  half 
your  land,  pay  off  your  debts,  invest  the  remainder  of  your 
money  in  labor  and  manure,  and  change  from  all  grass  and 
grain  to  about  twenty  acres  in  fruits,  you  would  only  have 
half  as  much  land  to  work  over,  and  could  save  money  every 
year." 

"  What !  buy  a  thousand  dollars'  worth  of  manure } " 
inquired  Spangler,  drawing  his  hands  from  his  pockets,  and 
utterly  amazed  at  the  idea.     "  It  would  ruin  me  !  " 

"But  the  ruin  will  come  if  you  do  not,"  rejoined  Uncle 
Benny. 


244  FARMING   FOR  BOYS. 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

Play  as  well  as  Work.  —  Fishing  and  a  Fish-Pond.  —  A  bad  A.cci- 
DENT.  —  Taming  a  Crow.  —  Don't  kill  the  Toads. 

'THHOUGH  the  boys  worked  faithfully  in  assisting  their 
-*-  father,  yet  they  had  a  full  share  of  sport  and  recreation 
throughout  the  entire  year.  It  was  very  far  from  being  all 
work  and  no  play.  They  were  great  hands  at  fishing  with 
pole  and  line,  and  spent  many  a  half-day  on  the  banks  of  the 
creeks  and  ditches  in  the  neighborhood,  catching  sunfish  and 
catties,  with  now  and  then  a  good-sized  snapper.  They 
knew  all  the  deep  and  shaded  holes  along  the  ditches  into 
which  the  fish  delight  to  seek  refuge  from  the  glare  of  an 
August  sun,  and  hence  were  able  to  bring  home  many  a 
dozen  at  a  time.  Though  catching  the  fish  was  fine  sport, 
yet  there  was  the  unpleasant  drawback  of  being  made  to 
clean  them.  This  was  a  dirty  job,  which  Mrs.  Spangler  and 
the  girls  declared  they  would  not  do  for  them,  but,  if  they 
would  go  a-fishing,  they  should  clean  all  they  caught. 

Over  at  their  neighbor  Allen's,  the  boys  on  that  farm  had 
contrived  to  make  a  net  long  enough  to  stretch  clear  across 
the  widest  ditch.  It  was  rare  sport  to  go  over  and  help  the 
Allen  boys  to  fish  with  this  net.  Sometimes,  when  the  water 
in  '.he  creek  was  low,  they  would  make  long  sweeps  against 


FARMING  FOR  BOYS. 


245 


the  stream,  and  haul  up  an  immense  number  of  fish.  At 
other  times,  two  or  three  of  the  party  would  keep  the  net 
extended  across  the  creek,  while  others  would  get  into  the 
water  a  considerable  distance  off,  and  with  great  sticks  would 


iim% 


thrash  the  surface  as  they  waded  up  toward  the  net,  making 
all  the  turmoil  and  commotion  they  could.  This  immense 
hue  and  cry  would  frighten  the  fish  from  their  hiding-places, 
and  start  them  off  on  a  run.  As  the  boys  approached 
nearer  and  nearer  to  the  net,  the  water  was  seen  to  be  alive 


^ 


246  FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 

with  fish, — some  leaping  out  to  escape  the  net  ahead  and  the 
boys  behind,  while  some  dashed  back  between  the  boys'  legs 
and  escaped,  and  others  saved  themselves  by  jumping  clear 
over  the  net,  now  and  then  even  touching  the  faces  of  those 
who  held  it.  Though  large  numbers  of  fish  were  penned 
up  in  this  way,  yet  the  fishermen  generally  made  Hght  hauls. 
By  the  time  they  got  the  net  up,  the  greater  portion  had 
made  themselves  scarce,  and  then  the  operation  was  to  be 
repeated.  But  even  if  there  was  plenty  of  mud  and  a  small 
amount  of  fish,  still  there  was  a  great  deal  of  fun. 

They  never  did  much  at  gunning,  as  Uncle  Benny  was  too 
good  a  friend  of  the  birds  to  encourage  his  boys  at  kilhng 
anything  but  hawks.  On  the  contrary,  he  had  induced  them 
to  imitate  the  Aliens,  and  to  make  a  number  of  small  boxes 
for  the  birds  to  build  in,  which  he  had  nailed  up  against  the 
barn  and  about  the  house.  It  is  true,  they  were  rather  rough 
affairs  to  look  at ;  but  the  birds  appeared  to  think  them 
extremely  convenient,  for  all  of  them  had  regular  tenants. 
Then  in  the  nearest  trees  they  hung  up  a  number  of  crook- 
necked  squashes,  with  a  hole  in  the  lower  end,  and  these 
also  were  all  tenanted.  To  complete  the  assortment,  Tony 
King  one  day  nailed  up  a  deplorably  old  straw  hat  against  the 
side  of  the  barn,  and  in  a  very  short  time  a  pair  of  wrens 
were  found  in  possession.  It  was  a  much  more  homely  thing 
to  look  at  than  either  boxes  or  squashes ;  but  is  seems  the 
birds  cared  nothing  for  looks,  but  a  good  deal  for  comfort. 


FARMING   FOR  BOYS.  24/ 

It  was  cool  and  airy  in  hot  weather,  and  hence  was  in  con- 
stant demand. 

Among  other  amusements,  in  the  way  of  keeping  pets, 
the  boys  established  a  little  fish-pond  by  scooping  out  a 
wide  surface  of  low  ground  through  which  there  was  a 
lively  brook,  and  by  raising  a  dam  at  the  lower  end.  This 
made  the  water  some  two  feet  deep.  They  had  seen  in  one 
of  the  shop  windows,  at  Trenton,  a  glass  globe  containing 
gold-fish,  and  were  so  struck  with  the  beauty  of  the  sight, 
that  they  resolved  to  have  gold-fish  of  their  own,  and  there- 
fore went  to  work  and  prepared  the  pond.  On  going  to  buy 
the  fish,  they  found  the  price  was  three  dollars  a  pair.  But, 
high  as  it  was,  they  made  ihe  purchase,  and  placed  them  in 
the  pond. 

It  was  astonishing  to  see  how  rapidly  they  multiplied ; 
for  in  a  large  warm-water  pond  like  this  they  breed  much 
faster  than  in  cold,  deep  water.  The  boys  noticed  that 
their  gold-fish  changed  color  three  times, — the  young  ones 
being  black,  then  gradually  turning  to  a  crimson  gold  color, 
then  becoming  white  or  pearl-color,  and,  lastly,  becoming 
white  all  over.  Some,  however,  did  not  change  at  all,  but 
retained  their  original  black.  They  proved  themselves  to  be 
extremely  hardy,  living  and  multiplying  whether  the  water 
became  very  warm  in  summer,  or  whether  frozen  over  in 
winter.  In  process  of  time  the  pond  fairly  swarmed  with 
them,  until  the  boys  enlarged  its  dimensions  by  scooping  it 


248  FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 

out  to  twice  the  original  size.  They  frequently  amused 
themselves  with  feeding  them,  until  the  fish  became  perfectly 
tame.  Bill  Spangler,  who' seemed  to  be  more  fond  of  pets 
than  the  others,  taught  them  to  rise  to  the  surface  of  the 
water  by  drumming  on  a  piece  of  board.  On  such  occasions 
their  great  broad  sides,  on  a  bright  summer  day,  could  be 
seen  glistening  in  the  sun  all  over  the  pond.  They  took 
food  readily  as  it  was  thrown  to  them,  such  as  crumbs  of 
bread  or  crackers,  dough,  worms,  or  grasshoppers. 

Their  pond  of  gold-fish  became  so  great  a  curiosity  that 
the  neighbors  came  from  far  and  near  to  see  it,  though  it 
never  was  a  source  of  much  profit.  Uncle  Benny  considered 
it  a  recreation  as  well  as  a  study,  and  about  the  cheapest 
amusement  that  could  have  been  devised.  It  cost  only  a 
little  labor  to  establish  it,  and  was  a  permanent  object  of 
interest 

But  their  amusements  were  not  always  exempt  from 
accidents.  One  day  when  the  boys  were  waiting  near  the 
barn  for  the  first  music  of  the  dinner-horn,  Bill  Spangler 
thought  he  would  amuse  himself  a  few  minutes,  by  way  of 
filling  up  time,  with  currying  up  the  pigs.  Taking  up  his 
long  stick  with  the  old  curry-comb  on  one  end  of  it,  he 
reached  over  the  side  of  the  pen  to  begin  operations.  But 
he  had  scarcely  begun  to  scratch  among  his  pets,  when  his 
eye  lighted  on  a  strange  animal  squatting  down  in  a  corner 
of  the  pen.     Bill  had  never  before  seen  such  a  creature,  and 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  249 

did  not  know  what  it  was.  He  thought  it  a  beautiful  little 
thing,  —  about  a  foot  long,  of  dark  color,  with  whitish  stripes 
running  down  its  back,  a  bushy  tail,  and  short  legs.  Bill 
gazed  and  wondered,  and  stopped  currying  the  pigs.  It 
presently  occurred  to  him  that  he  would  stir  up  the  strange 
animal  with  his  curry-comb,  to  learn  a  little  more  about  what 
it  was.  So,  reaching  over  to  where  it  lay,  he  began  poking 
at  it  quite  vigorously. 

The  beautiful  little  stranger  was  very  far  from  relishing 
this  unceremonious  kind  of  treatment,  and,  making  a  sudden 
jump  round,  presented  his  tail  to  Bill  instead  of  his  head. 
This  so  amused  Bill  that  he  poked  a  little  harder,  expecting 
another  equally  funny  movement.  But,  in  place  of  anything 
to  laugh  at,  the  animal  suddenly  discharged  at  Bill  a  stream 
of  something  worse  than  any  brimstone  he  had  ever  smelt. 
It  seemed  to  have  taken  direct  aim  at  his  face.  The  poor 
boy  was  half  stifled.  He  thought,  at  the  moment,  that  at 
some  time  or  other  he  had  encountered  all  kinds  of  loud 
smells,  but  was  now  satisfied  that  this  was  the  loudest  and 
most  terrible  of  all.  Everything  around  him  seemed  to  turn 
blue,  —  his  eyes  were  half  blinded,  and  he  began  to  feel  like 
vomiting.  What  became  of  the  animal  he  neither  knew  nor 
cared,  having  worse  things  to  think  of.  In  his  terrible  dis- 
tress he  set  ofif  for  the  house.  The  horn  had  blown  for 
dinner,  but  Bill  had  not  heard  it ;  and,  as  to  appetite,  it 
had  vanished. 


250  FARMING  FOR  BOYS. 

He  entered  the  door  with  his  hands  over  his  face,  sobbing 
and  crying,  and  found  the  family  at  dinner.  Instantly  every 
one  dropped  his  knife,  and  began  snuffing.  Then  a  sudden 
puff  of  wind  came  in  at  the  door,  and  the  whole  dinner-party 
started  up  as  if  they  also  had  had  brimstone  put  under 
their  noses,  at  the  same  time  uttering  all  sorts  of  cries. 
The  girls  ran  out  of  doors  with  their  aprons  over  their  faces, 
and  Mrs.  Spangler  screamed  out, — 

"  Where  have  you  been .?     What 's  the  matter  with  you .?  " 

"  O,  I  don't  know,"  replied  Bill,  crying  louder  than  before. 

"  Get  out  of  the  house  ! "  exclaimed  his  mother.  "  What 
on  earth  ails  you  ? " 

"  Not  much,  I  guess,"  replied  the  father,  quietly.  "  Fight- 
ing with  something,  I  reckon." 

"  Yes,"  added  Uncle  Benny,  "  fighting  a  skunk ! "  and  the 
old  man,  in  spite  of  the  smothering  atmosphere  that  now 
filled  all  that  part  of  the  house,  sat  down,  and  laughed  so 
heartily  as  to  rouse  the  anger  of  Mrs.  Spangler  even  to  tell- 
ing him  he  had  better  clear  out  also. 

The  fact  was,  every  one  was  glad  to  get  out  into  the  open 
air  without  waiting  to  be  told.  It  was  also  too  true  that  Bill 
had  been  amusing  himself  with  that  most  dangerous  rural 
plaything,  a  skunk,  and  had  suffered  the  terrible  baptism 
which  invariably  follows  the  indulgence  of  such  a  recreation. 
Severe  as  it  is,  it  somehow  never  fails  to  draw  forth  the 
ridicule  of  all  witnesses,  while  it  but  rarely  excites  the  sym- 
pathy of  any. 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  2$  I 

But  an  onslaught  of  this  kind  is  experienced  by.  many- 
country  boys  at  some  period  of  their  lives.  Those  who  cour- 
ageously creep  under  barns  in  search  of  eggs  are  often  driven 
out  upon  the  double  quick,  feet  foremost,  by  attacks  of  this 
kind,  getting  so  much  more  than  they  bargained  for  as  never 
to  have  pluck  enough  to  risk  a  second  skirmish  with  such  an 
enemy.  Then  at  night,  when  walking  along  a  narrow  path, 
or  in  the  open  yard  around  the  house,  the  unseen  enemy  lies 
in  wait,  and  instead  of  getting  out  of  the  way,  as  a  civilly  dis- 
posed skunk  should,  he  spitefully  bespatters  the  wayfarer  with 
a  sort  of  voluntary  malignancy,  and  then  takes  to  his  heels,  — 
an  example  which  his  mortified  victim  is  certain  to  imitate. 

Uncle  Benny,  undismayed  in  the  midst  of  the  general 
family  stampede,  made  out  to  rally  the  two  boys  to  poor 
Bill's  rescue.  They  made  him  strip  off  his  clothes  and 
squat  down  under  the  pump,  where  they  gave  him  a  copious 
shower-bath.  Then,  getting  him  into  a  tub  of  water,  he 
underwent  a  thorough  scrubbing  with  soap,  especially  his 
hair,  which  seemed  to  have  received  a  large  portion  of  the 
disagreeable  shock.  These  ablutions  did  some  good,  of 
course,  in  the  way  of  purification ;  but  they  were  far  from 
fully  repairing  damages.  As  to  his  clothes,  his  father  said  the 
only  thing  to  be  done  with  them  was  to  bury  them  in  the 
ground  for  at  least  two  weeks,  and  this  he  did.  He  professed 
to  know  all  about  skunks,  and  so  the  clothes  went  two  feet 
under  ground. 


252  FARMING   FOR   BOYS, 

Not  one  of  the  family  could  eat  a  mouthful  during  the 
remainder  of  that  day,  as  there  was  a  general  complaint  of 
being  sick  at  the  stomach.  Even  in  their  sleep  that  night 
several  of  them  dreamed  of  smelling  brimstone.  Some 
neighbors  who  dropped  in  a  few  days  afterwards  wondered 
whether  the  family  hadn't  been  dining  on  the  worst  kind 
of  sour-crout.  As  to  poor  Bill,  every  one  gave  him  a  wide 
berth  for  weeks,  and  many  were  the  jokes  at  his  expense. 
He  kept  exceedingly  shy  of  the  pigpen,  as  it  was  now  dan- 
gerous ground,  and  called  up  the  most  unpleasant  memo- 
ries. 

"I'll  kill  him  the  next  time!"  exclaimed  Bill  a  day  or 
two  after  his  shower-bath  under  the  pump. 

"  Ah,"  replied  Uncle  Benny,  "  nobody  seems  to  have  a  good 
word  for  the  skunk.  Every  man's  hand  is  against  him,  just 
as  it  is  against  the  snakes,  and  now  he  has  grown  to  be  a 
scarce  article  all  over  the  country.  It  is  true  that  none  of 
us  want  so  dangerous  a  playfellow,  but,  then,  even  the  skunk 
was  not  created  in  vain.  He  has  a  mission  in  this  world, 
like  ourselves.  He  is  one  of  the  many  friends  the  farmer 
has  without  knowing  it.  He  devours  beetles,  crickets,  grass^ 
hoppers,  mice,  and  other  vermin.  I  know  that  he  occa- 
sionally snaps  up  a  chicken,  but  very  rarely.  Let  him  alone, 
and  he  will  keep  the  garden  tolerably  clear  of  destructive 
insects,  and  charge  you  nothing  for  it.  If  you  do  not  trouble 
him,  he  will  seldom  trouble  you." 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  2$ 2 

"I  don't  think  so,  Uncle  Benny,"  replied  Bill,  drawing  a 
long  breath. 

"Well,"  added  the  old  man,  "when  next  you  meet  one, 
don't  offer  to  shake  hands  with  him,  and  you  will  be  safe." 

But  this  little  accident  taught  Bill  Spangler  caution ;  and 
ever  afterwards,  when  going  about  the  premises,  he  could 
not  help  keeping  a  sharp  lookout  for  essence-pedlers  in  the 
shape  of  suspicious  animals  with  pretty  white  stripes  down 
the  back. 

Besides  the  gold-fish  there  was  another  curious  pet  upon 
the  farm.  This  was  a  young  crow,  which  one  day  fell  near 
the  kitchen  door,  having  its  wing  wounded  by  a  shot.  The 
general  spite  against  the  crow  would  have  led  most  young 
persons  to  kill  it  on  the  spot ;  but  in  this  case  the  girls 
took  charge  of  it,  and  coddled  it  up  with  extreme  care 
until  the  wing  had  healed,  by  which  time  it  had  become 
almost  as  tame  as  the  cat,  and  showed  no  disposition  to  fly 
away.  It  was  a  queer  sight  to  observe  the  crow  stalking 
about  the  yard  among  the  chickens  and  pigebns,  claiming 
his  share  of  the  good  things  going  round.  The  pigeons 
were  prodigiously  afraid  of  him,  and  generally  kept  at  a 
respectful  distance.  But  though  the  chickens  did  not 
seem  to  fear  him,  yet  they  evidently  considered  him  an 
intruder,  and  picked  off  a  feather  or  two  whenever  he  came 
within  striking  distance. 

If  no  great  ornament  to  the  premises,  yet  he  proved  really 


254  FARMING   FOR  BOYS. 

useful.  He  would  stalk  into  the  garden,  with  daily  regu- 
larity, and  took  upon  himself  the  whole  business  of  exter- 
minating the  squash-bugs,  beetles,  grubs,  and  other  destruc- 
tive insects,  until  all  had  disappeared.  The  family  never 
raised  such  abundant  crops  of  cucumbers  and  melons  as 
they  did  while  the  crow  thus  stood  sentinel  over  the  garden. 
To  the  small  birds  about  the  premises  he  was  a  regular 
scarecrow ;  all  except  the  kingbird  being  very  much  afraid 
of  him,  though  he  never  condescended  to  attack  them.  But 
the  kingbird  seemed  to  have  an  unconquerable  spite  against 
him,  and  would  often  pounce  down  upon  his  back,  attack- 
ing him  so  vigorously  as  to  compel  him  to  fly  off  and  hide 
under  a  currant-bush  in  the  garden,  or  in  the  tall  grass 
around  the  fish-pond.  With  both  boys  and  girls  he  was 
wonderfully  intimate.  In  warm  weather  he  generally  roosted 
under  the  wood-shed,  and  in  winter  the  girls  brought  him 
into  the  kitchen,  where  he  had  a  regular  roost  in  the  chimney 
corner;  and  he  would  walk  up  and  mount  upon  it  with  a 
quiet  gravity  that  every  one  was  amused  at  witnessing. 
The  two  house-cats  invariably  got  up  and  moved  off  to 
another  corner,  whenever  they  saw  the  crow  marching  up 
to  his  roost.  But  such  is  the  character  of  our  common  crow. 
He  is  naturally  a  most  intelligent  bird,  and,  when  kindly 
treated,  can  be  domesticated  without  any  difficulty. 

This   taming   of  the   wounded   crow   was   one    of    Uncle 
Benny's  devices  for  cultivating  the   affections,  and  teaching 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  255 

the  boys  a  habit  of  kindness  towards  inferior  creatures. 
He  was  always  on  the  lookout  for  opportunities  for  impress- 
ing upon  them  the  duty  of  forbearance  from  cruelty  or  vio- 
lence to  such.  He  one  day  caught  Tony  throwing  stones  at 
a  couple  of  toads  in  the  garden,  and  forthwith  ordered  him  to 
stop.  But  Tony  replied  that  they  were  of  no  use,  and  ought 
to  be  killed,  —  he  didn't  like  them.  The  old  man,  sitting 
down  on  the  frame  of  a  hotbed  that  was  close  at  hand,  and 
telling  Tony  to  take  a  seat  beside  him,  drew  a  paper  from  his 
pocket,  and  read  to  him  the  following  brief  lecture,  though  he 
did  not  know  the  author's  name :  — 

"  It  is  idle  to  talk  about  useless  animals.  All  are  useful,  and 
many  that  we  despise  are  necessary  to  man.  Even  the  common 
house-flies  should  be  ranked  among  the  best  friends  of  man.  All 
dead  and  decaying  matter,  which  is  most  abundant  in  the  hottest 
weather,  is  detrimental  to  human  health  and  life.  Swarms  of  flies 
rapidly  convert  this  matter  into  living,  healthy  substance,  and  thus 
purify  the  atmosphere,  and  make  our  dwellings  habitable.  These 
ever-busy  workers  are  actually  essential,  particularly  in  the  dirtiest 
portions  of  cities.  They  destroy  immense  quantities  of  pestilence- 
breeding  impurities.  Their  busy  motions  pertain  to  life.  With 
death  come  foul  odors,  which  flies  consume  and  convert  to  life  and 
motion.  They  are  the  real  sanitary  inspectors  of  our  dwellings, 
and  abaters  of  nuisance.  They  are  under-estimated,  and  so  are  all 
reptiles.  The  despised  toad  is  one  of  our  most  useful  domestic 
animals,  —  one  of  the  farmer's  and  gardener's   best  friends.     We 


256  FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 

should  all  leaxn  lessons  of  useful  instruction  of  the  toad,  and  teach 
our  children  and  servants  never  to  injure  them.  They  delight  in 
well-cultivated  grounds,  and  live  long  in  the  same  locality,  occupy- 
ing the  same  nests  for  many  years.  Their  natural  food  is  bugs  and 
flies  which  are  injurious  to  the  garden.  They  catch  their  prey  with 
wonderful  facility,  by  the  power  they  have  of  shooting  out  their 
tongues  to  the  length  of  six  or  eight  inches,  striking  with  lightning 
quickness  whatever  comes  within  the  focus  of  their  two  prominent 
eyes.  If  one  eye  is  destroyed,  they  lose  the  power  of  striking  their 
prey.  The  tongue  is  covered  with  a  glutinous  substance,  which 
holds  every  insect  it  strikes.  Night  is  the  toad's  time  to  work. 
We  have  accounts  of  monster  toads  in  Surinam,  with  mouths  like 
a  hog. 

"All  toads  and  frogs  are  insect-eaters,  and  the  numbers  they 
destroy  can  hardly  be  over-estimated.  They  seem  to  have  been 
predestined  for  the  great  work  of  destroying  bugs  and  insects 
generally ;  and  as  the  natural  habitat  of  toads  is  with  man  in  his 
cultivated  grounds,  they  are  there  his  most  useful  coworkers.  If 
not  already  in  the  garden,  man  should  collect  and  carry  them 
there.  A  few  toads  in  a  vine-patch  soon  rid  it  of  its  worst 
enemies,  the  bugs.  The  young  of  frogs,  while  in  the  tadpole  age, 
breathe  by  gills,  under  water.  After  they  lose  their  tails,  and 
become  perfect  frogs,  they  are  air-breathing  animals,  and  not 
amphibious.  If  they  dive,  it  is  only  suspended  inspiration.  They 
must  come  to  the  surface  to  breathe.  In  spite  of  all  that  Shake- 
speare has  said  to  sustain  the  prejudice  against  toads,  they  are 
not  poisonous,  nor  hateful.     Our  antipathy  all  comes  from  faulty 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  2$/ 

education.  We  should  teach  our  children  not  to  hate,  but  to 
protect  toads.  We  should  also  try  to  overcome  the  prejudice 
against  eating  frogs.  They  should  be  the  cheap  and  plenty  food  of 
the  poor,  instead  of,  as  now,  the  choice  dainties  of  the  rich.  They 
might  as  well  be  grown  for  food  as  chickens.  Frogs  would  only 
need  a  fit  place  to  live  in.  They  would  need  no  food  nor  care.  If 
the  idea  of  cultivating  frogs  is  thought  absurd,  it  is  not  more  so 
than  the  idea  of  sending  ice  to  the  tropics  was  thought  to  be  a  few 
years  ago.  It  was  made  to  pay ;  and  a  frog-pond  as  well  as  the  ice- 
pond  may,  and  frogs  should  be  an  article  of  food  in  every  market." 

Then,  turning  over  to   another  page,  he  read  the  follow- 
ing:— 

"  Our  ugly  friend,  the  toad,  affects  gardens  as  much  as  the  lord  of 
creation.  You  will  find  him  in  a  hole  in  the  wall,  in  the  strawberry 
patch,  under  the  squash-vines,  or  among  the  cucumbers.  He  is 
not  handsome,  but  serene  and  dignified  as  a  judge.  He  executes 
judgment  upon  all  bugs,  worms,  snails,  and  pests  of  the  garden  in 
the  most  summary  way.  See  what  a  capacious  maw  he  has, 
occupying  the  whole  space  from  his  forelegs  to  his  haunches.  He 
is  the  very  incarnation  of  stomach,  and  his  gastronomic  feats  would 
do  credit  to  an  alderman.  He  tucks  away  bugs  and  all  kindred 
flesh  as  an  epicure  would  turtle  and  pudding.  He  is  never  full. 
That  maw  stretches  like  caoutchouc,  and  he  is  nearer  to  having  an 
endless  gullet  than  any  other  reptile.  He  is  altogether  too  useful  to 
be  without  enemies.  All  the  serpent  tribe  hate  him,  and  devour 
him  when  they  can.  Even  man  slanders  him.  He  misses  a  few 
17 


258 


FARMING    FOR    BOYS. 


Strawberries  from  his  patch,  and  lays  it  to  the  toad,  who  stands  like 
a  sentinel  guarding  his  treasures.  It  was  the  snail  who  did  the 
mischief  before  the  toad  took  up  his  station  ;  fortunately,  he  is  now 
where  he  will  spoil  no  more  ruddy  fruit.     Or  it  was  the  robin  who 


slyly  snapped  up  the  berries,  and  flew  off  into  the  neighboring  tree, 
leaving  the  poor  toad  to  bear  his  sins.  But  you  see  by  the  look  of 
his  honest  face  that  he  is  guiltless.  Those  lustrous  eyes  are  above 
stealing.  One  fat  bug  would  give  him  more  pleasure  than  all  the 
fruit  in  your  garden. 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  259 

"  Cultivate  the  friendship  of  toads,  for  they  take  the  insects  that 
the  birds  are  apt  to  overlook.  They  inspect  the- ground  closely, 
peer  under  the  leaves  of  strawberries,  under  the  growing  vines,  and 
nab  every  creeping  thing  in  sight.  They  are  as  easily  domesticated 
as  birds,  never  sing  when  you  do  not  want  them  to,  are  quiet  and 
unobtrusive,  and,  if  not  worth  five  hundred  dollars  apiece,  are  still 
profitable  pets  and  fellow-helpers.  Birch  the  boy  that  teases 
toads." 


260  FARMING  FOR  BOYS. 


CHAPTER    XVII. 

All  Weather  good.  —  A  Disappointment.  —  Making  Money.  —  City 
AND  Country  Life.  —  Wealth  and  its  Uses.  —  Contrast  between 
old  Times  and  the  Present. 


\  1  7HAT  a  mis 
^  ^     said  J*oe  S 


miserable  spring  we  have,  miserably  rainy," 
Spangler  one  day  in  the  succeeding  April, 
when  Uncle  Benny  and  the  boys  were  walking  over  their 
strawberry  field,  looking  at  the  beautiful  white  blossoms  that 
were  unfolding  on  every  side.  "  I  wish  we  could  have  some 
good  weather." 

"Ah,"  replied  the  old  man,  "all  weather  is  good,  though 
we  may  not  be  able  to  see  it  at  the  time" ;  and,  unfolding  a 
paper  which  he  carried  in  his  hand,  he  read  the  following 
extract  from  a  speech  of  Mr.  Everett  to  an  English  audience, 
many  of  whom  had  previously  expressed  to  him  their  regret 
at  having  so  wet  a  day  for  their  meeting:  — 

"It  is  a  good  day,  notwithstanding  the  rain.  The  weather  is 
good ;  all  weather  is  good ;  sunshine  is  good  ;  rain  is  good.  Not 
good  weather,  sir  ?  Ask  the  farmer,  in  whose  grains  and  roots  there 
yet  remains  some  of  its  moisture,  to  be  driven  out  by  to-morrow's 
sun.  Ask  the  boatman,  who  is  waiting  for  his  raft  to  go  over  the 
rapids.  Ask  the  dairyman  and  grazier  if  the  rain,  even  at  this 
season  of  the  year,  is  not  good.  Ask  the  lover  of  nature  if  it  is  not 
good  weather  when  it  rains.     Sir,  one  may  see  in  Europe  artificial 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  26 1 

water-works,  cascades  constructed  by  the  skill  of  man  at  enormous 
expense,  —  at  Chatsworth,  at  Hesse  Cassel,  and  the  remains  of 
magnificent  water-works  at  Marly,  where  Louis  XIV.  lavished 
uncounted  millions  of  gold,  and  thus,  according  to  some  writers, 
laid  the  foundation  of  those  depletions  of  the  treasury  which 
brought  on  the  French  Revolution.  The  traveller  thinks  it  a  great 
thing  to  see  these  artificial  water-works,  where  a  little  water  is 
pumped  up  by  creaking  machinery  or  a  panting  steam-engine,  to  be 
scattered  in  frothy  spray ;  and  we  talk  of  its  not  being  a  good  day 
when  God's  great  engine  is  exhibited  to  us.  His  imperial  water- 
works sending  up  the  mist  and  vapors  to  the  clouds,  to  be  rained 
down  again  in  comfort  and  beauty  and  plenty  upon  grateful  and 
thirsty  man !  Sir,  as  a  mere  gratification  of  the  taste,  I  know 
nothing  in  nature  more  sublime,  more  beautiful,  than  these  rains, 
descending  in  abundance  and  salubrity  from  the  skies." 

But  out  came  the  sun  at  last,  and  more  blossoms  with  it, 
and  then  a  hot  day,  with  a  young  thunder-gust  in  the  after- 
noon, and  a  hail-storm,  the  night  clearing  up  so  cold  that  a 
white  frost  was  visible  in  many  places  the  next  morning.  It 
was  quite  an  unusual  thing  for  that  portion  of  New  Jersey. 
But  farming  is  not  all  profit,  and  crops  are  subject  to  many 
casualties,  —  some  from  excessive  moisture,  some  from  exces- 
sive dryness,  others  from  heat,  and  others  from  premature 
cold.  The  first  blossoms  of  the  strawberries,  which  the  boys 
had  been  so  recently  admiring,  were  blasted  by  this  untimely 
frost,  and  the  expected  crop  diminished  by  at  least  a  third. 


262  FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 

It  would  have  been  a  sore  grief  to  the  boys,  this  prospect  of 
a  great  loss.  But  Uncle  Benny  assured  them  the  case  was 
not  a  distressing  one ;  he  had  seen  cases  far  worse  than  this. 
He  explained  to  them  that  there  were  several  distinct  sets  of 
blossoms,  which  unfolded  themselves  one  after  the  other,  not 
all  at  once.  The  first  set  of  theirs  had  opened,  while  the 
second  had  only  half  exposed  the  white  flowers.  But  both 
were  blasted.  Hence,  there  was  reasonable  hope  that  from 
the  yet  undeveloped  blossoms  they  would  gather  a  plentiful 
crop,  as  none  of  them  had  been  injured.  Besides,  he  said 
there  was  little  doubt  of  their  getting  very  nearly  as  much 
money.  The  frost  did  not  fall  on  their  field  alone ;  it  must 
have  blasted  many  others ;  and  the  diminished  quantity  of 
fruit  would  be  made  up  by  the  increased  price  which  the  half 
or  quarter  crop  would  command. 

When  Uncle  Benny  began  his  course  of  training,  his  idea 
was  that,  as  the  hope  of  reward  was  everywhere  admitted  to 
be  the  great  sweetener  of  toil,  so,  if  the  boys  could  be  put  in 
the  way  of  accumulating  a  little  money  for  themselves  as  the 
result  of  their  own  labor,  it  would  be  a  powerful  stimulant  to 
exertion.  His  experience  with  them  proved  that  his  idea  was 
the  correct  one.  Their  anxiety  was  now  beginning  to  out- 
grow even  his.  Their  ambition  was  increasing,  —  one  wanted 
twice  as  many  blackberries,  another  wanted  a  great  peach- 
orchard,  and  Bill  Spangler  insisted  that  he  must  have  more 
pigs,  as  there  were  not  half  as  many  as  he  could  sell.     He 


FARMLNG    FOR    BOYS.  263 

said  there  was  no  more  need  of  taking  Nancy's  progeny  to 
the  fair  in  order  to  obtain  customers,  as  they  came  to  the 
farm  for  the  young  Chester  Whites  in  greater  numbers  than 
he  could  supply,  and  if  one  Nancy  did  so  well,  he  wanted  to 
have  six  or  seven  more  of  the  same  sort. 
Some  writer  has  observed  that 

"  A  slight  knowledge  of  human  nature  will  show  that,  when  a  man 
gets  on  a  little  in 'the  world,  he  is  desirous  of  getdng  on  a  little 
farther.  Such  is  the  growth  of  provident  habits,  that  it  has  been 
said  that,  if  a  journeyman  lays  by  the  first  dollar,  he  is  on  the  high 
road  to  fortune.  It  has  been  remarked  by  one  who  has  paid  great 
attention  to  the  state  of  the  laboring  poor,  that  he  never  knew  an 
instance  of  a  man  who  had  saved  money  having  afterwards  to 
depend  on  public  bounty." 

It  was  so  with  the  boys.  Their  experience  had  shown 
them  that  farm  labor  and  farm  employments,  when  rightly 
directed,  could  be  made  very  profitable,  while  they  had 
already  begun  to  save  money.  The  getting  thus  far  ahead 
stimulated  them  to  get  and  to  save  more.  But  this  stimulant, 
in  Uncle  Benny's  opinion,  was  getting  too  strong,  and  he  was 
constantly  obliged  to  impose  restraints  on  their  ambitious 
projects  for  expansion.  As  to  Tony  King,  the  orphan  boy, 
he  had  long  since  abandoned  all  idea  of  giving  up  the  farm  for 
a  city  life.  Hence,  he  was  now  turning  his  attention  to  how 
and  when    he    should    have   a   farm    of  his   own.     Knowing 


264  FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 

himself  to  be  friendless,  with  none  to  aid  him,  it  was  natural 
enough  for  him  to  be  casting  about  for  an  enlargement  of  the 
moderate  profits  which  two  years  under  Uncle  Benny's 
instructions  had  enabled  him  to  make  and  save. 

Uncle  Benny  had  been  with  the  Spanglers  some  three 
years,  and  Tony  was  now  a  well-grown  lad  of  nineteen.  His 
manners  were  remarkably  pleasing,  his  appearance  was 
manly,  and,  wherever  he  happened  to  make  acquaintances, 
he  quickly  became  a  favorite.  It  was  no  wonder,  then,  that, 
as  years  increased  upon  him,  he  became  thoughtful  of  his 
future.  The  Spanglers  had  parents,  and  the  parents  had  a 
farm,  on  which  their  children  would  always  have  a  home. 
But  it  was  very  different  with  Tony  King.  He  was  to  carve 
out  his  own  fortune,  and  that  by  the  labor  of  his  hands,  not 
by  help  of  any  friendly  purse.  His  good  character  and 
moderate  education  were  all  the  capital  he  possessed.  But, 
if  young  men  only  knew  it,  such  capital,  carefully  preserved, 
will  gather  round  it  all  other  desirable  forms  of  wealth. 

An  incident  had  occurred  in  the  neighborhood  some  years 
previously,  the  results  of  which  had  made  a  strong  impression 
upon  Tony's  thoughtful  mind.  He  was  now  old  enough  to 
appreciate  them  in  all  their  bearings.  One  Tracey,  a 
farmer,  had  married  a  farmer's  daughter,  whose  misfortune 
it  was  to  dislike  a  rural  Hfe.  She  desired  her  husband  to 
seek  some  other  employment,  anything  but  that  of  farming, 
and  was  ever  ready  to  commend  the  superior  charms  of  a  life 


FARMING    FOR   BOYS.  265 

in  the  city.  She  held  out  the  same  idea  for  her  daughters, 
and  hoped  that,  when  they  married,  it  would  not  be  to  become 
farmers'  wives.  Her  oldest,  Jessie,  at  nineteen  was  the  belle 
of  the  township, — the  life  of  every  picnic,  the  charm  of 
every  quilting-party,  a  picture  of  rural  beauty,  and  perfectly 
happy  in  her  modest  home. 

Between  Jessie  and  the  son  of  a  neighboring  farmer  there 
sprung  up  an  attachment  which  was  fast  ripening  into*  an 
engagement  of  marriage.  They  were  not  only  well  paired, 
but  suitably  matched.  He  was  every  way  deserving  of  her, 
and  his  prospects  for  life  were  quite  as  promising  as  hers. 
But  he  was  only  a  farmer,  —  the  very  occupation  which 
Jessie's  mother  had  hoped  might  never  fall  to  the  lot  of  her 
daughters.  He  could  offer  no  dazzling  future,  no  fortune, 
no  display,  only  the  reasonable  promise  of  a  genuine  domestic 
happiness.    The  unsatisfied  and  exacting  mother  wanted  more. 

Meantime  the  summer  vacation  brought  into  the  neighbor- 
hood a  spruce  young  shopkeeper  from  New  York,  a  Mr. 
Dimity,  whose  business  was  that  of  measuring  out  lace  and 
ribbons  behind  the  counter  of  a  Canal  Street  store.  But 
though  a  perfect  obscurity  in  the  great  city,  he  set  up  for  a 
flourishing  merchant  when  in  the  country.  He  talked  exten- 
sively of  his  brilliant  prospects,  glibly  enough  to  impose  upon 
the  weakness  of  Jessie's  mother.  His  dress  was  elegant,  his 
manners  easy,  and  his  attentions  to  Jessie  soon  became  very 
deci<led.     But,  while  courting  the  daughter,  he  first  won  the 


266  FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 

mother  to  his  side.  The  former  should  have  her  brown-stone 
mansion  in  one  of  the  avenues,  her  carriage,  her  servants,  and 
then  there  would  be  operas,  and  theatres,  and  concerts. 
Life  in  the  great  city  should  be  one  round  of  pleasure,  to 
which  the  dull  quietness  of  a  farmer's  sitting-room  would  be 
mere  barbarism. 

Jessie's  mother  was  readily  won  over  by  these  specious 
foreshadowings  of  what  might  never  be  realized,  and  then 
Jessie  herself  gave  way.  The  next  winter  she  became  Mrs. 
Dimity,  and  took  up  her  abode  in  New  York.  There  she 
saw  all  the  heart-scalding  phases  of  city  life.  Ten  years  of 
ups  and  downs  were  hers.  Dimity  was  fortunate,  and  then, 
in  turn,  unfortunate,  —  rich  to-day,  but  poor  to-morrow. 
The  mansion  in  the  avenue,  and  the  "carriage  with  it,  took 
wings  and  flew  away.  If  her  life  were  gayer  in  the  city  than 
in  the  farm-house,  it  was  far  less  happy ;  and  often  did  she 
sigh  for  the  soft  quiet  of  the  rural  home  which  her  mother- 
had  urged  her  to  abandon.  Dimity  died  bankrupt,  and  his 
once  blooming  Jessie  returned  to  the  old  parental  home- 
stead, a  faded  and  disheartened  widow. 

Her  history  was  known  throughout  the  neighborhood,  and 
was  many  times  referred  to  in  the  hearing  of  Tony  King  as 
another  illustration  of  the  danger  of  leaving  a  happy  country 
home  for  an  unhappy  one  in  the  city.  It  made  him  thought- 
ful and  wise,  and  served  to  confirm  him  in  his  new  deter- 
mination of  never  abandoning  the  farm. 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  26/ 

This  conclusion  of  Tony  was  encouraged  by  Uncle  Benny 
whenever  an  opportunity  presented ;  nor  did  he  fail  to  enter 
into  all  his  various  plans  for  achieving  his  praiseworthy 
'ambition  of  getting  a  little  farm  for  himself  Time  was  pass- 
ing rapidly  away,  and  Tony  was  fast  becoming  a  man. 
Their  success  in  fruit-growing  had  been  so  decided  that  every 
year  added  to  the  little  savings  the  boys  had  accumulated.  It 
afforded  convincing  evidence  to  Tony's  mind  that  fruit  could 
be  made  more  profitable  than  grain,  and  that  a  few  acres, 
worked  as  they  ought  to  be,  would  pay  far  better  than  a  great 
farm  only  half  cultivated. 

"  You  see,"  said  Uncle  Benny,  "  from  what  you  have  been 
doing,  that  all  wealth  is  the  result  of  well-directed  labor,  and 
that  fortune  is  not  chance  work.  Money  is  the  evidence  that 
somebody  has  been  at  work,  —  working  either  with  his  hands 
or  head.  All  that  you  have  in  the  savings-bank  is  the  result 
of  work  done  on  these  few  acres  of  ground.  It  is,  moreover, 
a  positive  assurance  that,  if  you  continue  to  do  more  work, 
you  will  accumulate  more  money.  Besides,  money  thus 
acquired  is  much  more  likely  to  be  kept  than  when  made  by 
fraud  or  speculation.  That  which  comes  easy  generally 
goes  easy.  But  after  all,  Tony,  money  is  not  everything 
in  this  world.  Its  possession  has  many  times  been  known 
to  be  a  great  misfortune.  But  with  good  health,  a  virtuous 
family,  moderate  desires,  a  generous  heart,  and  a  life  here 
which  ever  keeps  in  view  the  immortal  one  to  come,  it  may 


268  FARMING  FOR   BOYS. 

be  considered  a  great  blessing.  Without  these,  the  rich 
man  is  a  miserable  being." 

"  But  what,"  inquired  Tony,  "  would  you  consider  the  best 
way  for  a  poor  fellow  like  me  to  get  up  in  the  world  ? " 

"  Well,"  replied  the  old  man,  "  the  way  to  wealth  is  about 
as  plain  as  the  way  to  market,  and  is  open  to  all  who  are 
industrious  and  frugal,  both  of  time  and  money.  It  has  been 
well  said  that  time  well  employed  is  certain  to  bring 
money,  as  money  well  spent  is  certain  of  gaining  more. 
Acquire  habits  of  punctuaHty,  and  you  establish  a  character 
for  accuracy  which  will  give  you  credit ;  and  credit  is  the 
prize  which  all  aim  at,  but  which  too  few  preserve.  Every- 
body respects  a  punctual  man.  He  is  sure  to  thrive,  as 
punctuality  implies  industry  and  foresight.  Next  comes 
justice  in  all  your  dealings. 

"Now,"  he  continued,  "you  have  a  hundred  facilities  for 
carrying  on  farming  successfully  of  which  the  first  settlers 
of  this  country  had  no  knowledge.  Look  at  the  splendid 
implements  we  saw  at  the  fair,  the  improved  animals,  the  low 
prices  at  which  they  were  sold,  and  the  vast  abundance  of 
them  all.     These  are  so  many  helps  to  success." 

Then,  unfolding  a  newspaper,  he  read  the  following  article, 
but  was  ignorant  of  the  author's  name  :  — 

"  Our  New  England  fathers  pursued  farming  under  difficulties  of 
which  we   have  little   conception.     The   country  from  which   they 


FARMING  FOR  BOYS.  269 

emigrated  was  farther  advanced  in  civilization,  and  better  tilled  than 
any  then  on  the  globe  ;  and  this  they  exchanged  for  one  entirely 
new  to  them,  and  for  a  soil  and  climate  unlike  those  of  which 
they  had  before  some  experience.  Thrown  into  a  savage  wil- 
derness, their  knowledge  of  farming  on  the  smooth  plains  of  the 
old  country  would  avail  them  but  little.  Almost  everything  must  be 
learned  anew,  and  their  knowledge  of  farming  in  America  must  be 
acquired  by  slow  and  painful  experience.  Who  will  wonder,  then, 
that  their  progress  was  slow  ?  Rather  let  us  wonder  that  they  did 
not  succumb  to  the  difficulties  and  hardships. 

"The  early  settlers  had  no  beasts  of  burden  for  many  months 
after  their  arrival.  And,  when  at  length  a  few  cows  were  sent  over, 
being  poorly  fed  on  coarse  meadow  hay,  many  of  them  drooped  and 
died,  and  others,  surviving  this,  were  killed  by  the  wolves  or  the 
Indians.  Besides,  the  difficulty  and  cost  of  importation  were  then 
so  great  as  to  raise  their  price  above  the  means  of  ordinary  farmers. 
In  the  year  1636  cows  sold  from  twenty-five  to  thirty  pounds  ster- 
ling, $125  to  $150,  and  oxen  at  forty  pounds  a  pair.  The  cattle, 
too,  were  greatly  inferior  to  those  of  the  present  day.  The  ox  was 
small  and  ill-shaped,  and  the  horse  very  unlike  the  noble  dray- 
horses  of  Boston  and  Baltimore  of  the  present  day,  and  the  sheep 
were  inferior,  both  in  size  and  form,  and  in  the  fineness  of  the  wool. 
In  1638  there  were  no  horses  in  the  Plymouth  colony;  and  his- 
tory tells  us  that  one  John  Alden,  the  rival  suitor  of  Miles  Standish, 
carried  home  his  bride  on  the  back  of  a  bull,  which  he  had  covered 
with  a  piece  of  handsome  broadcloth,  he  leading  the  ungainly  ani- 
mal by  a  rope  fastened  to  a  ring  in  its  nose. 


2/0  FARMING   FOR  BOYS. 

"  Agricultural  implements  could  then  be  imported  from  the 
mother-country,  but  all  persons  could  not  afford  to  obtain  them  in 
this  way.  A  farmer  of  the  present  day  would  not  think  the  best  of 
them  worth  much,  they  were  so  rudely  made,  so  heavy  and  un- 
wieldy. Many  of  their  tools  were  made  from  bog-ore,  the  only 
metal  then  to  be  had,  and  were  very  brittle  and  easily  destroyed. 

"  Twelve  years  after  the  landing  at  Plymouth,  the  farmers  of  the 
colony  had  no  ploughs,  and  were  obliged  to  prepare  their  lands  for 
seed  with  the  hoe.  As  late  as  1637  there  were  only  thirty-six 
ploughs  in  the  whole  of  Massachusetts.  For  a  long  period  after  this 
the  State  paid  a  bounty  to  any  one  who  should  buy  and  keep  a 
plough  in  repair,  making  it  his  sole  business  to  go  from  farm  to 
farm  breaking  up  land.     This  must  have  been  a  real  plough-man  ! 

It  was  a  great  advantage,  surely,  to  the  first  settlers,  to  acquire  the 
use  of  the  several  new  plants  employed  by  the  natives  for  food. 
Yet  it  took  some  time  to  learn  how  to  cultivate  them,  and  hardly 
less  how  to  relish  them.  Indian  corn  was  one  of  these  plants  ;  and 
pumpkins,  squashes,  potatoes,  and  tobacco  were  almost  equally 
strangers  to  them.  It  is  said  that  the  potato  was  so  rare  in  Eng- 
land, at  the  beginning  of  the  seventeenth  century,  as  to  be  used  only 
in  the  smallest  quantities.  It  was  sold  at  two  shillings  a  pound 
for  the  Queen's  table,  and  was  used  as  a  fruit,  baked  into  pies, 
seasoned  with  spices  and  wine,  and  sometimes  eaten  with  sugar. 

"  The  colonists  adopted,  to  a  great  extent,  the  Indian  mode  of 
cultivating  the  plants  above  named  ;  and,  as  the  times  then  were,  it 
answered  a  good  purpose.  For  example,  like  the  natives,  they 
planted  their  corn  four  feet  apart ;  and  those  living  near  the  sea- 


FARMING   FOR  BOYS.  2/1 

coast,  manured  their  plants  in  the  hill  with  horse-shoe  crabs ;  those 
living  on  streams  in  the  interior  used  fishes  for  the  same  purpose. 
They  planted  beans  among  their  corn,  that  the  former  might  be  sup- 
ported by  the  latter.  They  hilled  their  corn  about  two  feet  high, 
supposing  it  necessary  to  sustain  the  stalks." 

"  Now  compare  all  that  you  can  everywhere  see  with  this 
picture  of  destitution  and  hardship.  You,"  added  the  old 
man,  "have  no  such  privations  to  encounter.  These  forgot- 
ten heroes  of  the  soil  have  cleared  away  the  forests,  leaving 
to  us  the  pleasing  duty  of  giving  to  it  the  highest  cultiva- 
tion." 


2/2  FARMING  FOR  BOYS. 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 

Changes  on  the  Farm.  —  The  Boys  becoming  Men.  —  Tony  and  his 
Prospects.  —  Going  into  the  Army.  —  A  great  Discovery.  —  Uncle 
Benny's  Triumph. — Tony  King  made  happy. 

'  I  ^HE  three  boys  had  now  grown  up  to  be  young  men,  and 
■*■  counted  as  full  hands  on  the  farm.  Tony  Kmg  was 
receiving  wages,  and  proud  enough  he  felt  when  Spangler 
paid  him  the  first  twenty  dollars  he  had  ever  earned.  Every 
part  of  the  farm  was  therefore  showing  the  good  effects  of 
Uncle  Benny's  advice  and  exhortation  to  Spangler  on  the 
management  of  his  land,  and  of  the  increased  efficiency  of 
the  boys.  Spangler  had  become  quite  willing  to  abandon 
many  of  his  old  neglectful  ways,  the  result  of  which  was  seen 
in  the  improved  appearance  of  everything  about  the  premises. 
All  the  foul  old  hedge-rows  that  skirted  the  fences  had  been 
cleared  up.  He  took  far  better  care  of  his  fodder.  His 
buildings  had  been  repaired,  even  to  the  extent  of  painting 
the  house.  Then  he  had  reformed  his  ways  about  the  barn- 
yard. Having  received  new  ideas  touching  the  value  of 
manure,  he  had  fallen  into  most  of  Uncle-  Benny's  plans  for 
increasing  the  supply. 

The  consequence  of  all  this  was  an  immense  increase  in  his 
crops,  thus  producing  more  money,  and  enabling  him  to  meet 
the  interest  on  his  mortgage  the  very  day  it  came  due.     His 


FARMING   FOR  BOYS.  273 

corn  crops  were  now  nearly  equal  to  the  best  of  his  neighbors. 
He  had  also  quit  raising  his  old  razor-back  breed  of  hogs,  and 
confined  himself  exclusively  to  the  Chester  Whites.  More 
than  all  this,  he  began  to  believe  in  the  superior  value  of  fruit 
culture,  and  had  gone  so  far  as  to  plant  a  thousand  peach- 
trees.  He  even  thought  of  setting  out  an  acre  or  two  of  the 
improved  blackberries,  and  as  many  more  of  other  small 
fruits.  Uncle  Benny  had  thus  proved  himself  a  radical 
reformer  of  a  multitude  of  abuses. 

It  'was  interesting  to  the  old  man  to  note  how  much  the 
comfort  of  Mrs.  Spangler  and  the  family  was  increased  by  this 
improvement  in  the  management  of  the  farm.  Many  little 
conveniences  were  now  purchased  which  Spangler  always 
used  to  say  he  couldn't  afford  to  buy,  because  of  that  periodi- 
cal scarecrow,  the  interest  on  his  mortgage.  Sundry  articles 
of  new  furniture  were  made  to  supplant  the  rickety  affairs 
about  the  house  and  kitchen.  Mrs.  Spangler  and  her 
daughters  had  new  frocks  and  bonnets  much  oftener  than 
before  Uncle  Benny's  appearance  among  them.  Then  Span- 
gler being  one  day  at  a  neighboring  vendue,  bought  a  neat 
little  family  carriage,  which  was  probably  the  greatest  affaii 
of  all.  In  every  other  domestic  arrangement  there  was  a 
manifest  improvement,  the  whole  change  being  the  result  of 
Uncle  Benny's  personal  effort,  during  some  six  years,  to  teach 
Spangler  and  his  boys  a  better  mode  of  farming. 

The  two. young  Spanglers  had  no  other  prospect  but  that 
18  ^ 


2/4  FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 

of  remaining  to  assist  their  father.  He  had  more  land  than 
enough  for  all,  even  when  divided  up  into  two  or  three  shares. 
As  they  became  of  age,  their  father  paid  them  wages,  and 
continued  to  let  them  have  a  large  share  in  the  profits  of  the 
Chester  County  Whites  and  the  pigeons.  Their  pig  enter- 
prise had  proved  a  most  profitable  one,  as  the  fact  of  their 
having  taken  a  premium  at  the  county  fair  did  not  seem  to 
be  forgotten  over  a  wide  stretch  of  country.  Hence  there 
was  an  extensive  demand  for  young  pigs  at  far  better  prices 
than  for  the  common  breeds,  it  having  been  satisfactorily 
proved  that  the  Chester  Whites  will  grow  larger  on  less  food 
than  any  other  kind.  For  this  reason  they  commanded  a 
much  higher  price  ;  and  as  a  multitude  of  farmers  wanted  to 
have  the  best,  so  the  demand  continued.  Uncle  Benny  had 
repeatedly  told  the  boys  that  it  cost  less  to  raise  the  best 
breed  than  to  raise  the  poorest.  Others  thought  so  too,  and 
hence  the  calls  at  the  Spangler  farm  for  Chester  County 
Whites  were  so  constant  that  a  great  enlargement  of  the  pig 
department  took  place,  much  to  the  profit  of  the  proprietors. 
But  the  case  of  Tony  King  was  different  from  that  of  the 
Spanglers.  He  must  shift  for  himself.  It  was  known  in  the 
family  that  he  intended  to  leave  as  soon  as  an  opening  turned 
up  for  him  to  buy  or  rent  a  farm  for  himself.  They  fre- 
quently talked  the  matter  over  among  themselves,  —  where  he 
had  better  locate,  how  much  land  to  get,  and  what  sort  of 
farming  he  would  carry  on,  —  but  no  light  came  to  guide 
him. 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  2/5 

He  had  saved  a  few  hundred  dollars  to  begin  with,  suffi- 
cient to  purchase  implements,  but  he  had  none  with  which  to 
buy  land.  As  to  working  for  years  at  the  small  wages  that 
Spangler  was  willing  to  pay,  he  could  not  bring  his  mind  to 
think  of  it. 

The  fact  was  now  evident  that  Uncle  Benny's  exhortations 
for  him  to  look  upward,  to  aspire,  had  had  their  effect,  and 
made  him  ambitious  to  strike  out  on  his  own  land.  One 
point,  however,  had  been  settled  in  his  mind,  —  he  was  deter- 
mined to  have  a  fruit  farm  near  some  great  market.  He  knew 
it  would  be  difficult  to  hire  such  an  establishment,  and  much 
more  difficult  for  him  to  purchase.  He  must  therefore  create 
it,  and  while  his  fruits  were  coming  into  bearing,  he  would 
cultivate  the  common  crops,  but  would  drop  the  latter  as  soon 
as  the  former  became  productive.  Though  his  plans  were 
thus  clearly  determined  on,  the  great  difficulty  was  to  carry 
them  into  effect. 

Uncle  Benny  had  listened  to  the  poor  but  brave  fellow, 
sympathized  with  his  longings,  and  counselled  courage  and 
patience,  assuring  him  that  all  would  yet  come  out  right. 
Moreover,  the  old  man  entertained  a  strong  affection  for 
Tony,  and  was  extremely  anxious  to  see  his  favorite  pupil 
established  on  some  desirable  spot  that  he  might  call  his  own, 
feeling  sure  that  he  would  succeed.  They  often  talked  the 
matter  over,  sometimes  when  at  work  in  the  fields,  and  oftener 
when  with  the  family  at  home. 


2^6  FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 

While  waiting,  in  this  way,  for  some  prospect  to  present 
itself,  Tony  one  day  picked  up  a  newspaper  as  he  rose  from 
the  breakfast  table,  and,  running  his  eye  carelessly  over  it,  fell 
upon  an  advertisement  offering  large  bounties  for  volunteers. 

*'Six  hundred  dollars'  bounty  for  a  volunteer!"  he  called 
out  aloud.  "  Think  of  that,  Uncle  Benny ! "  he  cried. 
"  Won't  that  be  a  help  to  me  ?  I  '11  go  to  Trenton  and 
enlist!" 

The  family  were  struck  with  amazement  at  this  unexpected 
announcement.  But  none  except  the  youngest  children 
could  say  a  word  in  discouragement  of  his  intention.  These 
knew  too  little  of  the  rebellion,  its  wicked  object,  and  still 
more  wicked  cause,  to  estimate  the  mighty  results  to  religion 
and  humanity  all  the  world  over  which  hung  suspended  in 
the  balance  of  its  success  or  failure.  They  knew  only  that 
they  loved  Tony,  and  could  not  think  of  parting  with  him,  — 
they  said  he  should  not  volunteer. 

What  could  Uncle  Benny  say  to  this  determination  of 
Tony  }  The  old  man  was  running  over  with  patriotic  horror 
at  the  bloody  efforts  of  the  slaveholder's  rebellion  to  destroy 
the  national  life,  and  could  utter  no  word  that  might  discour- 
age even  one  brave  heart  from  entering  the  glorious  army 
which  was  then  battling  for  the  national  integrity.  He 
realized  the  loss  which  Tony's  absence  would  be  to  him,  and 
the  dangers  which  the  brave  fellow  would  encounter  in  the 
smoke   and    carnage   of   the  battle-field.     Never,   until    that 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  277 

moment,  had  he  known  the  extent  of  his  affection  for  Tony, 
or  the  terrible  domestic  desolation  which  that  unrighteous 
rebellion  was  everywhere  producing.  But  while  praising  his 
determination,  he  bade  him  think  well  before  he  acted,  and 
if  bent  on  entering  the  ranks,  to  let  love  for  his  country  form 
some  portion  of  his  motive,  and  not  allow  the  offer  of  a  large 
bounty  to  be  the  only  inducement. 

"  But  I  shall  go,"  rejoined  Tony.  "  Six  hundred  dollars 
will  make  me  up ;  and  who  knows  but  I  may  come  back 
an  officer  ? " 

"  Yes,"  added  Mrs.  Spangler,  "  but  suppose  you  never  come 
back.     Of  what  use  will  be  your  bounty  then  ?  " 

But  if  the  thought  of  enlisting  were  a  sudden  one,  so  was 
the  determination  inflexible.  No  persuasion  could  alter  it ; 
for  Tony,  without  being  either  obstinate  or  stubborn,  had 
always  had  a  mind  of  his  own,  and  he  was  now  master  of 
his  time,  either  to  enter  the  army  or  to  remain  upon  the 
farm. 

Next  morning,  sure  enough,  he  started  for  the  recruiting 
office  at  Trenton,  where  he  learned  that  the  demand  for  men 
was  urgent,  and  that  six  hundred  dollars'  bounty  was  given  to 
each.  A  great  crowd  was  in  and  around  the  office,  and  he 
saw  the  money  counted  out  to  each  volunteer  as  he  was  mus- 
tered in.  He  looked  at  it,  and  thought  a  like  sum  would  go 
a  great  way  toward  procuring  such  a  farm  as  he  would  have 
to  be  contented  with. 


2^^  FARMING  FOR  BOYS. 

In  the  evening  he  returned  home  to  make  preparation  for 
his  departure.  But  that  was  quickly  done,  for  his  wardrobe 
was  scanty,  and  he  had  no  accounts  to  settle.  His  last  even- 
ing with  the  family  was  sad  enough,  —  sad  for  himself,  and 
sad  for  all  others.  There  was  a  profusion  of  hopes  and 
regrets,  and  a  burden  of  kind  injunctions.  Mrs.  Spangler 
and  the  girls  cried  at  the  prospect  of  letting  him  go.  Uncle 
Benny  exhorted  him,  however  and  wherever  he  might  be 
situated,  to  do  his  whole  duty,  keeping  a  clear  conscience, 
and  never  forgetting  his  Creator. 

After  breakfast  the  next  morning,  Tony  was  ready  to  set 
off  on  his  perilous  enterprise.  Uncle  Benny  was  to  drive 
him  to  Trenton,  where  he  would  see  that  he  received  his  full 
bounty  money,  and  deposit  it  for  him  in  the  saving-fund. 
Tony  and  his  venerable  protector  had  seated  themselves  in 
the  carriage,  and  the  family  had  shaken  hands  with  him  for 
the  last  time,  when  a  man  of  very  genteel  appearance,  and 
past  middle  age,  presented  himself  among  them.  He  had 
entered  the  gate  and  walked  up  to  the  carriage  without  being 
noticed,  so  entirely  was  every  one's  attention  occupied  by 
poor  Tony's  departure. 

The  stranger  saw  at  a  glance  that  something  unusual  was 
going  on.  There  were  Mrs.  Spangler  and  the  girls  wiping 
their  eyes,  while  the  countenance  of  even  Farmer  Spangler 
had  lost  its  usual  hard  expression,  and  now  gave  token  of  a 
profound  regret.     Breaking  silence,  however,  he  inquired,  — 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 


279 


"  What  does  all  this  mean,  my  friends  ?  Has  any  misfor- 
tune overtaken  this  family  ? " 

"  Going  into  the  army,  sir,"  replied  Tony,  in  a  firm  voice  ; 
"  and  I  'm  just  bidding  them  good  by." 


The  strange  gentleman  looked  at  him  attentively,  then  cast 
his  eyes  around  the  party,  and  then  again  turning  to  Tony, 
inquired,  — 

"  But  what  may  be  your  name,  young  man  ?  " 

"Tony  King,  sir,"  was  the  reply. 


280  FARMING  FOR  BOYS. 

"  Anthony  King !  "  he  exclaimed.  "  The  Lord  be  praised 
for  bringing  me  here  ! "  And  instantly  he  mounted  into  the 
carriage,  seized  Tony's  hand,  and  embraced  him  with  the 
warmest  affection. 

"  You  do  not  know  me,"  he  resumed.  "  You  were  only  a 
child  when  you  last  saw  your  Uncle  Alfred,  but  I  am  he,  and 
after  a  long  search  I  have  at  last  discovered  you.  No  going 
into  the  army  to-day!  I  have  a  great  deal  to  say  to  you. 
Come  out,  Tony,  and  let  us  become  better  acquainted  with 
each   other." 

Here  was  the  greatest  surprise  that  could  have  happened 
to  every  one  who  witnessed  it.  True  enough,  Tony,  when  a 
mere  child,  remembered  having  seen  his  Uncle  Alfred.  He 
knew  also  that  he  had  disappeared  from  among  his  relatives, 
and  gone  no  one  knew  whither.  No  tidings  of  him  having 
been  received,  he  was  given  up  for  dead.  Tony,  knowing 
so  little  of  him,  had  altogether  forgotten  that  such  a  relative 
existed.  But  it  was  most  extraordinary  that  his  reappearance 
should  happen  at  the  critical  moment  of  Tony's  departure 
from  Mr.  Spangler's,  and  that  it  should  lead  to  the  breaking 
up  of  all  Tony's  plans  for  entering  the  army. 

The  horse  was  quickly  taken  out  of  the  carriage,  Tony's 
little  bundle  was  replaced  in  his  chamber,  the  girls  dried  up 
their  tears  of  sorrow,  but  wept  fresh  ones  of  joy,  the  boys 
recovered  their  spirits,  and  even  Uncle  Benny's  heart  was 
made  lighter  by  the  prospect  of  Tony 's  still  remaining  among 


FARMING   FOR  BOYS.  28 1 

them.  It  was  one  of  those  sudden  transitions  from  general 
grief  to  general  joy  which  sometimes  occur  in  human 
experience.  Tony  was  less  affected  than  the  others.  He 
had  obeyed  his  uncle's  command  without  exactly  understand- 
ing the  object,  or  what  was  to  be  the  end  of  it. 

But  Alfred  King  had  mingled  with  his  fellow-men  all  over 
the  world,  and,  being  able  to  make  himself  at  home  wherever 
he  might  happen  to  be,  soon  brought  his  new  acquaintances 
to  an  understanding  of  his  character  and  intentions.  Leav- 
ing home  poor  and  friendless,  he  had  fought  out  for  himself, 
in  a  remote  section  of  the  country,  the  great  battle  of  life,  and 
had  now  returned  to  his  native  State,  not  overburdened  with 
riches,  but  with  moderate  fortune,  —  not  enough  for  many  of 
us,  but  sufficient  for  him.  The  disposition  to  be  satisfied  with 
what  he  had  acquired,  in  reality  made  him  rich,  —  for  riches 
come  of  a  contented  mind,  not  of  an  overflowing  purse. 

He  had  now  returned  to  settle  somewhere  near  the  spot 
where  he  was  bom.  He  had  been  searching  for  his  relatives, 
but,  in  an  absence  of  many  years,  all  but  Tony  had  been 
swept  away  by  death.  Him  he  sought  long  and  anxiously, 
and  by  the  merest  accident  learned  of  his  being  with  the 
Spanglers.  By  the  singular  coincidence  just  related,  he 
reached  that  farm-house  just  as  the  object  of  his  search  was 
about  departing  to  enroll  himself  in  the  army  of  his  country. 
One  hour's  delay  in  arriving  there  would  have  seen  Tony 
beyond  the  reach  of  his  affectionate  intentions. 


282  FARMING   FOR   BOYS. 

A  genial  intimacy  soon  sprung  up  between  Mr.  King  and 
Uncle  Benny.  The  latter  gave  him  a  connected  history  of 
his  nephew,  how  well  he  had  behaved  himself,  how  worthy  he 
was  of  his  love  and  protection,  and  how  ardently  he  desired 
to  strike  out  for  himself  as  the  owner  of  a  farm.  It  was  natu- 
ral that  Mr.  King  should  concentrate  upon  his  only  surviving 
relative  his  whole  affections.  He  had  enough  of  this  world's 
goods  for  both  of  them,  and  he  avowed  to  Uncle  Benny  his 
intention  of  establishing  for  himself  and  Tony  such  a  home  as 
the  deserving  boy  was  longing  after. 

Now,  it  had  always  been  insisted  on  by  Uncle  Benny,  in  his 
arguments  with  Spangler,  that  the  latter  was  farming  too 
much  land ;  and  that  he  would  thrive  better,  make  more 
money,  and  have  less  work  to  do,  if  he  would  sell  one  half 
Some  men  might  drive  a  hundred  acres  to  great  advantage, 
but  Spangler  was  not  one  of  them.  Organized  as  he  was,  he 
could  do  better  with  a  half  than  with  the  whole.  Spangler 
had  uniformly  resisted  this  doctrine.  But  latterly,  however, 
the  truth  as  pioclaimed  by  Uncle  Benny  had  been  slowly 
working  its  way  into  his  mind.  He  did  not  resist  so  stub- 
bornly as  at  first.  True,  no  one  had  ever  offered  to  buy  any 
portion  of  the  farm,  hence  he  had  never  been  tried  by  the 
test  of  opportunity. 

But  the  temptation  to  divide  his  hundred  acres  was  now  to 
be  held  out  to  him.  Tony  King's  ambition  extended  only  to 
thirty  acres.     He  explained  to  his  uncle  what  he  intended  to 


FARMING   FOR    BOYS.  283 

do  with  such  a  tract.  He  had  made  a  rude  sketch  on  paper 
of  his  plans.  There  was  to  be  a  great  peach-orchard,  a  pear- 
orchard,  and  twenty  acres  were  to  be  stocked  with  berries, 
leaving  room  for  all  vegetables  for  domestic  use,  and  pasture 
for  a  cow. 

There  were  thirty  acres  at  one  end  of  Spangler's  farm 
which  would  exactly  suit  him.  They  embraced  the  famous 
brier-patch,  from  which  so  many  hundred  dollars  had  been 
annually  realized  ;  besides,  it  would  produce  them  an  immedi- 
ate income.  If  his  uncle  would  only  buy  this  thirty-acre  lot, 
and  put  up  a  small  house,  he  would  work  the  farm  to  his 
entire  satisfaction.  When  urging  the  matter  on  his  -attention, 
the  boy's  enthusiasm  became  unbounded.  He  grew  eloquent 
as  he  counted  up  the  profit  from  his  fruits,  and  finally  in- 
fused into  his  uncle's  mind  some  portion  of  his  own  sanguine 
fervor. 

The  contemplated  purchase  was  of  course  no  secret  in 
Spangler's  family.  Under  Uncle  Benny's  urgency,  Spangler 
at  last  consented  to  sell ;  but  though  satisfied  it  was  probably 
best  for  him,  he  gave  up  to  it  with  stubborn  reluctance,  —  it 
was  hard  to  part  with  his  land.  Then  it  went  hardest  of  all 
to  give  up  the  great  brier-patch.  The  "old  field,"  which,  in 
the  face  of  Spangler's  ridicule  and  prophecies  of  failure.  Uncle 
Benny  had  converted  into  a  gold  mine,  he  now  prized  as  the 
most  valuable  part  of  his  farm.  But  Tony  refused  to  buy 
unless  he  could  secure  the  brier-patch.     This  controversy  was 


284  FARMING   FOR  BOYS. 

finally  adjusted  by  Mr.  King  consenting  to  give  three  prices 
for  what  was  once  known  as  the  "  old  field." 

'*  Now,"  said  Uncle  Benny  to  Spangler,  when  the  bargain 
had  been  concluded,  "  take  this  money  and  pay  off  your  mort- 
gage. When  you  laughed  at  me  for  undertaking  the  '  old 
field,'  didn't  I  tell  you  it  could  be  made  to  pay  your  mort- 
gage, and  has  it  not  turned  out  even  better  than  I  said  } " 

What  reply  could  Spangler  make  to  so  searching  a  ques- 
tion ?     He  did  manage  to  smile,  but  said  nothing. 

No  happier  young  farmer  lives  in  New  Jersey  than  Tony 
King.  His  thirty  acres  are  all  that  he  covets,  and  all  that  ht 
now  thinks  he  shall  ever  want.  Setting  out  with  moderate 
views,  the  hope  is  that  moderation  will  continue  to  be  his  rule. 
His  farm  is  fast  becoming  a  pattern  for  his  neighbors  to  imi- 
tate. But  it  was  no  light  task  to  clear  up  and  make  good  the 
long  neglect  of  his  predecessor.  As  all  reformers,  whether  of 
land  or  of  something  else,  have  difficulties  to  overcome,  so  had 
Tony  a  full  share ;  but  then  one  half  of  them  would  never 
occur  again.  It  is  only  the  beginners  who  really  have  the 
hard  work.  His  smaller  fruits  were  planted  even  before  the 
dwelling-house  had  been  put  up.  Then  followed  his  peach, 
and  pear,  and  apple,  and  cherry  trees.  One  crop  of  straw- 
berries has  already  been  marketed,  and  whoever  drives  by  his 
peach-orchard  about  the  last  of  any  April,  will  discover  it  to 
be  a  wilderness  of  blossoms. 

There  are  folks  in  this  world  who  do  not  know  what  is  a 


FARMING   FOR   BOYS.  285 

good  thing,  even  when  they  see  it.  Tony  was  not  one  of 
these.  He  had  seen,  and  tried,  and  proved  the  Chester 
County  Whites,  and  knew  them  to  be  the  best  breed  of  swine 
that  could  be  had.  Hence  he  obtained  from  the  Spanglers  a 
very  respectable  number  to  begin  with,  and  bought  others 
elsewhere,  so  as  to  secure  a  proper  mixture.  Though  his 
pens  are  far  more  capacious  and  stylish  than  the  Spanglers', 
yet  the  latter  feel  no  envy,  nor  do  they  look  upon  Tony  as  a 
rival ;  but  these  three  young  farmers  continue  in  constant 
and  intimate  intercourse  with  each  other.  The  Spanglers  are 
never  too  weary  to  walk  over  of  an  evening  to  see  Tony,  and 
hear  him  tell  of  what  he  is  doing,  and  what  he  intends  to  do 
next.  His  uncle  is  so  indulgent  that  Tony  is  able  to  branch 
out  in  a  way  that  far  surpasses  all  the  Spanglers  could  afford. 
But  being  principally  in  little  things,  the  cost  is  moderate, 
while  the  comfort  and  gratification  are  very  great.  Bill  Span- 
gler  was  so  struck  with  two  or  three  little  notions  which  Tony 
crowded  on  his  attention,  that  he  once  declared  he  didn't 
know  whether  it  was  not  better  for  a  boy  to  have  only  an 
uncle  instead  of  a  father. 

Tony  longs  for  nothing  of  the  great  city  beyond  its  daily 
newspaper.  He  sighs  after  no  brown-stone  mansion,  no  city 
luxuries,  no  city  fortune  ;  arid,  coveting  none  of  these,  he  is 
happily  beyond  the  reach  of  those  countless  vicissitudes  which 
make  city  life  so  wearing  to  the  heart ;  of  the  temptations 
which  are  so  prone  to  overcome  the  moral  susceptibilities,  and 


286  FARMING  FOR  BOYS. 

of  those  ups  and  downs  of  fortune  from  which  no  foresight 
seems  able  to  protect  the  most  acute  observer.  Thus,  if  not 
likely  to  become  suddenly  rich,  he  runs  no  hazard  of  becom- 
ing poor. 

Uncle  Benny's  mission  has  been  accomplished.  As  years 
accumulate  upon  him,  his  joints  stiffen,  and  his  activity  dimin- 
ishes. But  even  though  thus  disabled  in  body,  he  continues 
to  be  unto  the  boys  their  "  guide,  philosopher,  and  friend." 

How  vast  a  field  there  is  among  us  for  farming  by  the 
Men  !  But  an  equally  extensive  one  exists  for  farming  by  the 
Boys.  If  it  be  generously  and  kindly  thrown  open  to  them, 
thousands  will  gladly  enter,  and  will  grow  up  better  and  Jiap- 
pier  men  than  if  reared  in  the  hot-bed  of  a  great  city. 


THE   END. 


Cambridge  :  Stereotyped  and  Printed  by  Welch,  Bigelow,  &  Ca 


14  DAY  USE 

RETURN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWED 

LOAN  DEPT. 

RENEWALS  ONLY— TEL.  NO.  642-3405 

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